Scaling down on celebrations doesn’t mean your spread is less meaningful
We asked our favorite foodies: How are you planning to celebrate Christmas in the light of the pandemic and recent calamities? Are you thinking of scaling down and simplifying your usual holiday spread? What are you planning to serve for Noche Buena this year?
Christmas has always been about celebrating with family and has always been simple for us, our Wawa Ester’s Christmas turkey, roast beef, baked red beans like she used to make for us in New York. I guess it will be the same this year. Of course, there is always a simple pasta too—for long life. But giving thanks and appreciating that fact that we’re sitting at the table together as a family will be more heartfelt this year because of the year’s challenging reality brought on by this crisis. Virtual hugs and air kisses will be so much more meaningful. —Margarita Forés
We’re definitely scaling down. In my immediate Tayag brood of roughly 60 persons, we’d usually have a potluck of international dishes, served buffet style in my mother’s house. Each family is assigned to bring its respective signature dish. But with this pandemic, I guess we’d have to celebrate Noche Buena separately in our respective homes. And to keep the spirit of family togetherness, Zooming is the next best thing. Masaya pa rin. Zoom is the best thing that happened in these trying times. We’ve been holding our family meetings and daily rosary through Zoom, including our sister Ina who lives near San Francisco. —Claude Tayag
There used to be 50+ people who would come to the house for Noche Buena. This year, due to the pandemic restrictions, we are limited to 10 in my house and we just set a 10 p.m. zoom get-together with everyone else celebrating in their own homes in Manila and abroad. From a giant Christmas tree, we put up a cute little one instead. We have decided to forego gifts to each other and instead opted to donate to the calamity victims and less fortunate. It’s not a simplified Christmas menu but a sizeable decrease in the volume because there will be fewer of us. But food wise, our spread will still carry the usual traditional fare we grew up with for this special occasion. Our mainstay and pièce de résistance will be my mom's Beef Morcon a la Emilia+, callos, jamon, queso de bola, leche flan, Lipa pan de sal, and suman. Add to that gambas ajillo, paella, salad, and desserts. The challenge will be how to serve it all following the health protocols of no buffet and sharing, social distancing, masks, shields etc. Furthermore, we all agreed to undergo a 14-day self-quarantine before getting together. We realize the true meaning of Christmas is really about celebrating the birth of Jesus and being grateful for what we have. And even as we are prevented from seeing and touching all our friends and loved ones, it is ironically that distance, which brings us even closer to one another. And we continue to pray. Hope springs eternal. —Myrna Segismundo
December is usually full of fun Christmas parties and reunions with workmates, friends, relatives. But there probably won’t be any of that this year, except for get-togethers and masses over Zoom. We usually celebrate Christmas Eve with my in-laws at home. But so far, no plans to continue that tradition this year. So, we’ll likely have a simple dinner and perhaps hear midnight mass with the rest of the family over Zoom. We’ve been serving roast turkey every Christmas Eve for ages now, either homemade or ordered. But it doesn’t make sense to have it for just our family of six. I still like the idea of serving a holiday roast, so I’m thinking a fancy roast chicken or maybe a prime rib roast, which I know the family will enjoy. To give the dinner a touch of luxe, slices of smoked salmon or that can of foie gras I’ve been saving. For sides, creamy mashed potatoes and some kind of salad. Dessert is always hardest because my husband and kids all have different preferences, but there’ll be rum cake for sure. Now that my kids are getting older and able to drink alcohol, one bottle of champagne (or two) is a must! —Nana Ozaeta
I plan to spend a very quiet and simple Christmas at home with my two nephews and two dogs. I’ve had very simple Christmases in the last years because I don’t like having too much leftovers. But I plan to make this one special because we had a death in the family last Christmas and we didn’t celebrate at all. For sure, we’ll have steak and paella. And of course, my favorite fruit cake plus a whole lechon, all to ourselves. No matter what happens, I’ve decided to celebrate Christmas this year. —Tatung Sarthou
Christmas is about family. It doesn’t really matter to me whether it’s a big or small celebration, what is important is that we are with family. This year, we opted to make it a small gathering with just our immediate family. I plan to cook all their favorite dishes. For Noche Buena, I’ll be making stuffed cochinillo, 16-hour roasted roast beef, paella, and salt-crusted seabass. As for my Christmas decors, I plan to fill up my house and dining table with fresh poinsettias. I love its red and green foliage which will last the whole season. Plus, they are affordable too. —Happy Ongpauco Tiu
I will spend Christmas quietly with my husband Bob and sister-in-law Lydia. I plan to do a repeat of an innovative turkey I did for Thanksgiving: an adobo-rubbed, garlic-studded turkey with relleno stuffing, arroz de adobo from the au jus, mashed kamote, ube, kalabasa sauce, and liver gravy. It’s certainly going to be different but I’m happy that the basic flavor of turkey meat goes well with adobo. This is going to be my Fil-Am Christmas turkey. Bob and I believe in our hearts and minds that Jesus is the reason for the season. In the first moments of waking and up to the last moments before we sleep, we say “Thank you, Lord.” The power of prayer can reach the smallest and the largest spots of our hearts, homes, and community. —Nancy Reyes Lumen