Do you remember your Christmas mornings? I remember mine vividly, especially those halcyon days of my youth spent in our home in Malabon, where then, when you woke up early in the morning, air still chilly, you would find last night’s leftover Noche Buena still laid out on the long wooden table of our formal dining room, ready to be picked on for breakfast. The fine cutlery and vintage bone china would still be there, pieces we only ever brought out for formal occasions and Christmas.

Why had it not been cleared? It was ever our family tradition that on Christmas Day, our household help would be on vacation, and we would attend to all the cleaning ourselves. This included our kusinera. From Christmas until New Year, our late mother would take over the kitchen. We would make hot soups: albondigas, cream of asparagus, and chicken noodle soup enriched with evaporated milk and a broth made from boiled ham bones.

We would also make rellenong manok, not to be confused with chicken galantina, alongside rellenong bangus, crispy pata, and steamed lapu-lapu with mayonnaise. There would always be gelatin dessert layered with cream and fruit cocktail.

And of course, as Malabon natives, that old seaside city, seafood anchored the table. Fat, juicy sugpo were baked in butter. When available, there would be steamed tatampal, or mantis shrimp, cooked simply with 7-Up, ginger and salt. Not everyone is privileged to grow up in a coastal town and enjoy such a surf-and-turf Christmas table. And so, for readers planning their own holiday spread, here are four Christmas recipes shared by friends from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde and its alumni, each one rooted in memory, practicality and the spirit of the season.

"Cooking this paella brings back fond memories of our family gatherings, laughter, and sharing meals together." Chef Jester Garcia Arellano, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde program chair for culinary arts management

Serves: 5 to 10

Ingredients

For the seafood saffron broth:

• 500 ml fish stock (from dorado or maya-maya head and bones)

• Shrimp heads and shells

• 100 g leeks, sliced

• 200 ml white cooking wine

• 1 pinch saffron or 1 pack paella mix

• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the rice and seafood:

• 30 ml olive oil

• 50 g onions, diced

• 50 g green bell pepper, diced

• 10 g garlic, finely chopped

• 100 g tomatoes, diced

• 250 g short-grain rice, washed

• 250 g shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 150 g squid, sliced into rings

• 200 g mussels, cleaned

• 250 g clams, cleaned

• 50 g green peas

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• Lemon wedges, for serving

Prepare the broth by simmering fish stock with shrimp heads and shells, leeks, white wine and saffron for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain and keep warm. In the strained broth, briefly cook the shrimp, squid, mussels and clams for three to five minutes, then set aside.

In a wide pan, heat olive oil and sauté onions, bell pepper and garlic until softened. Add tomatoes and cook until they break down into a sauce. Stir in the rice and cook for two to three minutes until well coated. Pour in the broth, season, and allow to simmer without stirring. Cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, or until the rice absorbs most of the liquid. Arrange the cooked seafood and green peas on top, cover and cook for another five minutes. Rest briefly before serving with lemon wedges.

"But for me, the best way to make a recipe is to consider your budget, convenience, and taste preference." Chef Paul John Pamaran Zamora

• 200 g ladyfingers

• 2 cups strong coffee

• 5 tablespoons rum

• 2 to 3 tablespoons vanilla extract

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• Cocoa powder, for dusting

Mascarpone-style cream:

• 500 g all-purpose cream, well chilled

• 225 g cream cheese, softened

• ¼ cup powdered sugar

Whip the chilled all-purpose cream until doubled in volume. Gradually add cream cheese, then powdered sugar, mixing until smooth. Let rest for about one hour. Combine coffee, rum and vanilla in a separate container. In a pan, spread a layer of cream, followed by ladyfingers briefly soaked in the coffee mixture. Repeat layers, ending with cream. Dust generously with cocoa powder before serving.

"A Filipino Christmas is not complete without the unmistakable aroma of puto bumbong right by sidewalks and plazas." Joana Paguio

• 45 ml rum

• 45 ml homemade ube cream

• 15 ml muscovado syrup

• Salted coconut cream and toasted desiccated coconut, for rim

For the ube cream:

• 2 drops ube extract

• 300 ml condensed milk

• 350 ml evaporated milk

For the muscovado syrup:

• 250 ml muscovado sugar

• 250 ml water

Prepare the ube cream by mixing condensed milk, evaporated milk and ube extract until well combined. For the syrup, simmer muscovado sugar and water until fully dissolved, then strain. Rim a coupe glass with coconut cream and toasted coconut. Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into the glass and serve.

"My nanay Rose would prepare this embotido a week or two before Christmas. The flavor and texture improve overtime in the fridge or freezer." Chef RV Manabat

• 1 kg ground pork

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

• 2 whole eggs

• 6 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

• ⅓ cup pickle relish

• ⅓ cup evaporated milk

• ⅓ cup carrots, finely chopped

• ⅓ cup onions, finely chopped

• 200 g grated cheese

• 150 g chopped ham or sausage

• 1 cup raisins, optional

Mix all ingredients except hard-boiled eggs until smooth. Spread about two cups of mixture on foil, place sliced eggs in the center, roll tightly and seal. Steam for 45 to 60 minutes. Rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Leftovers may be crumbled and simmered with Filipino-style spaghetti sauce for an easy post-holiday meal.