Happy New Year!

It's 2011!  It was just 2010 a few hours ago  hahaha  .... but really... time flew so fast!  When I heard mass last night I thanked God for all the blessings I've received... all the food I've eaten and for my 4 beach trips!  The 2 things that make me very happy are going to Boracay and cooking for the people I love!

It has always been the tradition of my family to celebrate New Year's Eve with lots of food.  When my Mom was still alive, our table was bursting with food and all the "pangpaswerte".  I couldn't understand why we had so much food we couldn't finish in one night.  She said it meant, we will never go hungry for the whole year.  In my opinion ... it just meant I will eat and get fat the whole year! hahahaha

I cooked food that could be prepared ahead of time, did not make a lot like we used to but it kept me busy for 3 days.  I started with Rellenong Bangus, Embutido,  then Sans Rival, Leche Flan, Molo Soup.    Last minute, my Ate told me to add Callos.  I didn't realize my family loves it, I'm not much of a fan so I don't make it often.  I had to rush to Glorietta early morning to buy the ingredients and also for the garlic bread.  It was very easy to make because I used the pressure cooker.

Callos

1 K. tripe
1 K. ox feet or Knee Cap - which I prefer, it makes the stock more gelatinous
stock from the boiled meat
1 Chorizo El Rey, cut into thick strips

1/4 K. Adelina's ham, cut into thick strips or bacon cubes

2 cloves garlic, chopped
white onion, chopped
extra virgin olive oil
70 g. tomato paste
1 C. tomato sauce
1 knorr beef cube

patis

red pepper or canned pimientos

Boil tripe and ox feet until tender, then cut into thick chunks or strips.
Saute in olive oil the onions first then the garlic.
Add the chorizo and the ham or bacon then the boiled meat.
Then the tomato paste, after a few minutes add the tomato sauce.  Let it simmer for a minute or two then pour in the stock.  Season with beef cube and patis.  Add the red pepper or pimientos and cook over low heat until the sauce thickens.

Serve with garlic bread.

Garlic bread

1 baguette

1/2 C. butter, softened
1 head garlic
2 T. parsley, chopped

Cream butter, add the garlic and the parsley.
Split open the baguette.  Spread the butter-garlic and bake for 10-15 minutes under 400F.

My favorite last night was the Rellenong Bangus.  It was a little time consuming to make but worth it, IMO.

Rellenong Bangus

1 medium bangus, cleaned, scaled and spilt open like a daing. (In some wet market, you can tell the fish vendor you will make relleno and they will remove the meat from the bangus.)
1 T. calamansi juice
3 T. soy sauce
garlic, chopped
onion, chopped
2 pcs. tomatoes, chopped
2 T. green pepper
2 T. carrot, chopped
2 T. raisins
1 t. Knorr Seasoning
1/2 t. rock salt
pepper
1 egg
1 T. flour
flour for dredging (optional if using non stick fish frying pan)

Scrape the meat of the bangus from the skin, leaving the belly fat intact.  Marinate the skin with calamansi and soy sauce.  Boil the meat of the fish in 1/2 C water with a little salt.  Drain and remove fishbones.

Saute in oil the garlic, onions and tomatoes.  Add the bangus meat, then the green pepper and carrots.  Season with Knorr, salt and pepper.  Add the raisins.  Transfer to a plate to cool a bit.  Add the raw egg and 1 T. flour to bind the filling.

Lay skin of the bangus flat on a tray, then put the filling on top.  Fold and sew the opening.  Dredge with flour and fry the Rellenong Bangus.  Cool before slicing or wrap in tin foil and keep in the refrigerator.  Bake for a few minutes before serving.

Ate brought macaroni salad and lasagna.

Hermie grilled the pork barbecue.

Kuya 's contribution was the puto, I didn't have to go to Market!Market!.



Sans Rival

 Tita Portia made my nephew,  Nicky, her Peaches with vanilla  ice cream, chocolate syrup and whipped cream topped with Maraschino Cherry.  She was offering to make for everybody but we were so full already.





The most important thing aside from having a full stomach on the storke of midnight is being with your family!!!! 

So I had to go down and get my darling baby boy from my house to be with him!

Happy New year!