THD Christmas Dinner Menu and Filipino Traditional Dishes

Our Christmas Dinner Menu Here at THD, December 23, 2023

My Capiz Parol Christmas Decor and Poinsettia here In My Apartment at THD, 2023  

Our Christmas Dinner is scheduled for Saturday, December, 23 ( 4:00- 6:30 PM) today so the Kitchen Staff can also observed Christmas with their Families. The menu is attached above. Meanwhile,  I am posting the traditional dishes in the Philippines during Christmas.   

The Philippines has the longest Christmas Season all over the World. The Christmas Season starts on September 1 and ends on the Feast of 3 Kings, the first week of January of the coming new year.  

However, formal celebrations begin on December 16. All over the country's islands, people gather for pre-dawn Christmas masses called “Misa de Gallo” or “Simbang Gabi”. These masses run for nine days and trace their roots back to Spanish missionaries who introduced the practice in the 17th century.

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2023/12/simbang-gabi-philippines-christmas.html

Food is a big part of the Christmas celebrations in the Philippines. During the 💥Noche Buena feast, you get to experience some of the rich and bold flavors of Filipino cuisine. For the Christmas feast, families bring out their best dishes, from Filipino spaghetti to Filipino roast turkey, along with some unique desserts.

💥 https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/a34628883/noche-buena/

If you’re wondering about Filipino Christmas food ideas, here are 20 Christmas foods you may find in the Philippines. 

Not in this list are Macrine's (RIP) Favorite Dishes- Chicken Relleno and Crab Omelette.  

1. Lechon

Lechon is one of the most popular dishes in the Philippines and is traditionally served for festivities and celebrations. It is a slowly roasted pig, often stuffed with other ingredients like lemongrass, garlic, spring onions, chilies, ginger, peppers, or pineapples and served with a dipping sauce.

2. Bibingka

Made from glutinous rice, coconut, sugar, and margarine, bibingka is a rice cake that’s especially popular during the Christmas season. Traditionally cooked by street vendors, bibingka is baked in a clay pot lined with leaves over hot coal for extra flavor.

3. Filipino-style spaghetti

Unlike any spaghetti you have had, the Filipino version has hotdog slices along with ground beef. And its unique sweet flavor comes from its sauce made from tomato puree, brown sugar, and banana ketchup.

4. Buko salad

This Filipino fruit salad is made from shredded young coconut and other ingredients such as fruits, jelly-like sweets, tapioca pearls, sago, sugar palm, cream, and condensed milk. It is served chilled.

5. Lumpiang ubod

This is a fresh spring roll stuffed with a julienned heart of palm and carrots along with other veggies, coconut, shrimp, and pork. It is served with a lumpia sauce made with brown sugar, soy sauce, and other ingredients.

6. Embutido

Another popular Filipino Christmas food is this meatloaf made from ground pork, veggies, cheeses, and raisins. It is stuffed with hard-boiled eggs and sliced ham or with hotdogs and other sausages.

7. Pancit Malabon

This is a Filipino noodle dish with a characteristic yellow-orange sauce that comes from annatto seeds. The recipe uses thick rice noodles and is topped with an array of seafood and sliced boiled eggs.

8. Morcon

Morcon is quite like embutido. It is a braised beef roulade where beef flank steaks are stuffed with various sausages, hard-boiled eggs, cheese, pickles, and carrots.

9. Leche flan

This delicious dessert resembles a caramel custard or a crème caramel and is the perfect way to celebrate Christmas. This classic flan recipe is made from sweetened condensed milk or evaporated milk for a richer taste.

10. Puto bumbong

This purple-hued rice cake is traditionally sold during the Christmas season. Made from steamed glutinous rice cooked in bamboo, puto bumbong is wrapped in banana leaves and served with warm butter, grated coconut, and brown sugar.

11. Lechon manok

Lechon manok, or spit-roast chicken, is another Filipino favorite for festivities. The chicken is marinated in a mixture of garlic, onions, bay leaf, black pepper, soy sauce, and fish sauce and roasted or cooked on a rotisserie.

12. Kaldereta

A Filipino beef stew, kaldereta can be cooked with chicken, pork, beef, or goat meat in a tomato-based sauce with liver spread.

13. Macaroni fruit salad

This easy and simple fruit salad dish is a Filipino classic made with macaroni and fruit cocktail, pineapple pieces, condensed milk, and mayonnaise, along with some other ingredients.

14. Arroz Valenciana

This Filipino-style paella is another favorite for Christmas celebrations made from glutinous rice, coconut milk, chicken, sausages, boiled eggs, and seafood, along with potatoes, red and green peppers, and other ingredients.

15. Rellenong bangus

A popular party food dish, Rellenong bangus is stuffed milkfish, which is filled with its own meat, potatoes, carrots, and bell peppers and fried until it is golden and crispy.

16. Buko pandan

Buko pandan is a Filipino cold dessert that immediately gets your attention with bright green jelly cubes and tropical palm fruits infused and mixed with shredded coconut and sweetened cream.

17. Beef mechado

Another tomato-based beef stew similar to kaldereta, beef mechado is also one of the many dishes served for a Christmas feast in the Philippines. Meats like pork and beef are cut into cubes and cooked with potato, bay leaves, soy sauce, and lemon rind or lemon juice.

18. Liempo

Liempo is grilled pork belly in Filipino. The pork belly is marinated in soy sauce, banana sauce, black pepper, and lemon and grilled on a barbeque.

19. Lumpia Shanghai

A delectable Filipino appetizer, Lumpia Shanghai is basically an egg roll with a filling consisting of pork, onions, carrots, and seasoning wrapped in a thin egg crepe and then deep-fried.

20. Hamon

Also known as “Hamonada”, this Filipino-style pineapple-glazed Christmas ham is one of the main meals for a Noche Buena feast.

Don’t forget Filipino Christmas drinks

Filipinos enjoy their Christmas feast with their favorite holiday drinks such as:

• Sangria made with fresh fruits
• Filipino fruit punch that’s non-alcoholic
• Herbal tea, especially ginger tea with lemon and honey
• A classic tsokolate, or hot chocolate, made from a paste of roasted cocoa beans and sugar

https://www.instacart.com/company/ideas/filipino-christmas-foods/

A Surprise Treat for My Birthday- $15 Fish Tacos

Last Wednesday, Dodie, Ruth and Dinah treated me for a most delicious Fish Taco ( $14.99) that I have not tasted for quite some time. It was no ordinary Fish Taco that you order in a Fast Food Mexican Chain Restaurant, but 2 tacos with fresh oranges and avocado slices with a jalapeño slices on the side.  Paired with garlic fries, it was a gastronomic experience perfect indeed for my 89th Birthday Meal. After our meal, we went back to my apartment for rice cake desserts and UbeYam pastries.  Thank You Dodie and Ruth for the Treat! 

So where is this Place that Served $15 Tacos in Downtown Walnut Creek?  Its Gott's Roadside!!!       

Founded by brothers Joel and Duncan Gott in St. Helena in 1999 and recognized as a James Beard America's Classic, Gott’s Roadside is known for its modern approach to creating California-inspired dishes using locally sourced ingredients.
With dishes such as the California Burger with a fried egg, Zoe's bacon, and balsamic onions, Ahi Poke Crispy Tacos with sushi grade Ahi tuna, Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich with harissa & turmeric spiced mayos, Chicken Kale Caesar, and hand-spun organic shakes, Gott’s modern roadside menu offers something for everyone.

Gott’s commitment to local sourcing extends to the glass with a California-centric list of wines and beers, hand selected by Joel Gott. Gott's has expanded to include locations in Napa’s Oxbow Public Market, San Francisco’s Ferry Building and Thrive City at Chase Center, Palo Alto, Walnut Creek, Marin, and a licensed location at San Francisco International Airport.
Click on the blue for their menu. They also have $26 Dungeness crab Sandwiches and $15 hamburgers!  

https://www.gotts.com/private-events/walnut-creek/
Very Informal, Self-Service, No Reservations, But DELICIOUS FOOD! 

Iloilo City Won the UNESCO Listing in the Field of Gastronomy

I was not surprise to read last month that Iloilo City, my place of birth and college years won the UNESCO Listing as a Creative City in the Field of Gastronomy. It now joins cities not only known but also respected for gastronomy, such as Phuket in Thailand and Alba (the land of truffles) in Italy. To date, there are 54 Cities of Gastronomy around the world.

The famous Batchoy of La Paz and Pancit Molo dishes (above photo)mentioned in the news are the two dishes my taste buds are familiar with since my childhood days. Batchoy is a Filipino noodle soup of pork offal, crushed pork cracklings, chicken stock, beef loin, and round noodles. Pancit Molo or Filipino pork dumpling soup is a type of soup using wonton wrappers which originated from Molo district in Iloilo City, Philippines. It consists of a mixture of ground pork wrapped in molo or wonton wrapper, shredded chicken meat, and also shrimp

The Kadyos, Baboy, Lanka(KBL)- the dish that my mother's maid use to cook for the family also was listed as one of the local dishes, Iloilo is famous for because of its originality and creativity.  KBL is Peas, Pork and Jack Fruit. The Peas and Langka are grown in our Farm in Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, This dish is one of the pleasant Food Memories in my childhood and teenager years,   

From the Local News:   A significant trading port, Iloilo City boasts a diverse cuisine influenced by Chinese, Malay, and Spanish cultures. Iloilo City is known for its delicious dishes, such as La Paz Batchoy and Pancit Molo. New restaurants and food businesses have emerged, showcasing the city's rich culinary heritage and innovative dishes. Iloilo City is also home to a number of food festivals and events, especially during January's Dinagyang Festival, which attracts visitors from all over the world. In addition to its culinary excellence, Iloilo City is also committed to sustainable food practices.

The news is a huge win for Iloilo City as it joins the list of Creative Cities for Gastronomy of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco)! This is under the initiative of Unesco called the Creative Cities Network launched back in 2004, wherein they promote cooperation among cities that have recognized culture and creativity as a strategic driver of sustainable urban development.

There are actually seven fields under the Creative Cities Network: crafts and folk art, design, film, media arts, literature, music and gastronomy. Baguio was named Creative City for craft and folk art in 2017 and Cebu as Creative City for design in 2019.

Here are the 7 most Popular Ilonggo recipes that is known all over the Philippines. 
https://www.yummy.ph/lessons/cooking/ilonggo-recipes-a00261-20190121

Read more: https://business.inquirer.net/430072/hail-to-iloilo-unesco-city-of-gastronomy#ixzz8J466HNCk

For a Collection of Recipes of popular Ilonggo Dishes read this web site: 

https://mb.com.ph/2022/10/19/cook-bible-flavors-of-iloilo-makes-its-debut/

Personal Note: Other regional ethnic Dishes popular to Filipinos are the Sisig of Pampanga Province, the Pinakbet from the Ilocos Region (Northern Philippines) and the spicy coconut dishes from the Bicol Region of the Philippines. Pampanga Province is known as the Culinary Capital of the Philippines.

Sisig is by far the most famous Kapampangan dish. It is made from chopped-up pig face, cheek, and ears, cooked with chicken liver, and seasoned with calamansi juice and chili peppers. 

Marinduque-my second home have several local dishes that are sought by tourist and must be tasted if you are in Marinduque. https://outoftownblog.com/the-best-native-delicacies-visitors-must-try-in-marinduque/

Are You a Dim Sum Enthusiast? Indeed, I AM!

LEFT-OVER of our Dim Sum Lunch ( mostly vegetable dishes) last month in San Ramon, CA 

Last Month, Dinah, Alix, Brendan and I were in the Mall at Bishop Ranch in San Ramon, enjoying a late Dim Sum lunch. Besides the basic Seafood(Shrimp and Crab) and Meat (Pork and Chicken) offerings, this was my first time I enjoyed vegetable dishes prepared and served the Dim Sum way.

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2023/10/a-sunday-escapade-from-my-gilded-cage.html

While talking to some of my co-residents here at THD, I was surprise that a few of them are not familiar with this gastronomic delight that I really enjoyed.  So this is the reason for this posting.

Dim Sum is a traditional Chinese meal made up of small plates of dumplings and other snack dishes and is usually accompanied by tea. Similar to the way that the Spanish eat tapas, the dishes are shared among family and friends. Typically dim sum is consumed during brunch hours — late morning to  lunchtime. During the weekend, the best Dim Sum restaurants are usually crowded. So be patient and enjoy your meal in spite of the noise and huge crowds.  Do not forget to order your favorite tea. 

Photo Credit: Carlos Avila_His Favorite-Baked Pork Barbecue Buns, Shumai and Dumplings

If you want to try this gastronomic adventure for the first time, here is the basic and popular Dim Sum dishes. I suggest you try.  

Dim sum dishes include an assortment of seafood, meat, and vegetable dishes that are prepared in various ways: steamed, fried, or baked.

Here’s a list of some of the most popular dishes to get you started:

Shumai (siu mai, shao mai)—These are thin, round wrappers in a cup shape and hold a filling — usually of pork, shrimp, or a combination of the two — and often a small amount of vegetables like bamboo shoots, black mushrooms, and water chestnuts.  (Jessica Spengler/ Flickr)

Shrimp dumpling (har gow, xia jiao)— One of the most popular dishes at dim sum, these are chunks of shrimp encased in a thin translucent dumpling wrapper and served in a bamboo steamer. (Charles Haynes/ Flickr)

Soup dumplings (xiaolong bao) — Commonly referred to as ‘soup dumplings,’ these delicate items are filled with hot broth and pork and are served in a bamboo steamer. Though these are originally from Shanghai, their national popularity has secured their status as a dim sum staple. (Ted Murphy/Flickr)

BBQ pork buns (charsiu bao, chashao bao)— These are fluffy, bready white buns stuffed with sticky and sweet barbecue seasoned pork and served in a bamboo steamer. (Kate Hopkins/Flickr)

For complete details visit this site:

https://asiasociety.org/reference/what-dim-sum-beginners-guide-south-chinas-traditional-brunch-meal

Here's a list of the Best Dimsum Restaurant in Walnut Creek 

  best dim sum walnut creek

 My Recommended Dish for first timer from Modern China Cafe is their DIM SUM PLATTER / $16

(Two of Each: Siu Mai, Har Gow, BBQ Pork Bun, Vegetable Dumpling)

Location: 1525 North Main St., Walnut Creek, Ca 94596. Tel # 925-988-8008

Here's the difference between, dumplings, Momos and Dim sums. Dumplings are balls of flour filled with a stuffing. Momos are also dumplings that contain some form of filling, be it vegetarian or meat. Dim sums are small snacks in Chinese cuisine that are eaten for lunch. They too have fillings covered with dough, but the dough is semi- or completely transparent. 1525 N. Main St.BonB

Walnut Creek, CA 94596

925-988-8008