“What did you do on your birthday?” I have been frequently asked this whole month. This author turned 40—the big four-oh—early this April, and I would inevitably answer, “Oh, I was just at home the whole day with my family and cat.”

Spending nigh on two decades as a journalist, often out on coverage and traveling, I have come to cherish, more and more, the times when one can simply stay home, read a book, watch TV, and generally just laze about in the comfort of one’s own room.

Fortuitously, for my birthday fare, our friend Rommel Juan, president of Binalot Fiesta Foods, told me about his new concept, the Boodle Box, and asked when he could send one over for me to try. I not so subtly nudged him to have it arrive on the day of my celebration. What came was not just food, but a flood of hearty delights and good memories.

The box was huge, delivered carefully by motorcycle. Inside, I was surprised by how generous the contents were, all presented in a sustainable, eco-friendly format—bayong-style boxes instead of plasticware.

Inside the cases were dishes wrapped in banana leaves. The rice, too, was bundled in a longer leaf, which, when unraveled, doubled as the centerpiece for a proper boodle fight spread. The use of biodegradable banana leaves and reusable tampipi-style containers minimizes waste, and, after the meal, the packaging can be repurposed for easy cleanup.

The contents was classic Filipino fare: salted egg and tomato, talbos ng kamote, nilagang okra, and talong with bagoong for sides; halabos na hipon, pinaputok na tilapia, inihaw na baboy, gising-gising, steamed rice, and pancit bihon for mains.

The family found ourselves smiling, even giddy, while preparing the meal. It was fun and nostalgic. I was reminded of the old days in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, when during holidays—be it Halloween, New Year or Holy Week—my late mother and my Southern Tagalog cousins would gather in our ancestral home for boodle fight lunches. We had banana trees in the backyard, so we would simply cut and wash our own “plates” straight from the source.

The Boodle Box is a must-try, especially for those living in condos or urban households, where one might want younger generations to experience the old-school way of dining. Children should know how to eat with their hands. It is a subtle art: you do not grab at the food, but gently pick up rice and “ulam” with your fingertips, using your thumb to nudge each bite into your mouth. It was a rite of passage for us kids then. Our tutor was our grandaunt in Laguna, strict and exacting. “You are a barbarian if you have a single grain of rice left in your palms,” she would tell us young'uns in Tagalog.

She’s the exact copy of Ms. Minchin, main antagonist of Frances Hodgson Burnett's novella “A Little Princess,” the inspiration for the movie, more known by Pinoys, “Sarah … Ang Munting Prinsesa.” But I’m too mean to our dear grandaunt Eufrosina, she was always kind to me. But I was the son of her favorite niece. I don't know about my other cousins though.

Beyond nostalgia, the Binalot Summer Boodle Box—officially launched this April—is designed for easy group dining, whether for beach trips, picnics or even get-togethers at home, like what we did. It comes in two sizes: ₱2,799, good for five, and ₱5,099, good for 10.

The set I had reflects what the brand calls a seafood-centric spread, though other curated options are available, featuring familiar favorites such as liempo, daing na bangus, and chicken adobo, paired with sides like laing or pinakbet. Everything is prepared to travel well, retaining that comforting, lutong-bahay feel.