Maligayang Pasko! (Merry Christmas!)

Spice up your Christmas the Filipino way by decorating and cooking up a festive menu provided to us by Karen Hulene Bartell! Karen says:

Christmas is Filipinos’ best-loved celebration. Star-shaped lanterns, called parols in the Filipino language Tagalog, signal the start of the Christmas season in the Philippines. As early as September, these five-pointed representations of the star of Bethlehem begin lighting up neighborhoods. Why so early? Filipinos associate the months’ suffix ber with Christmas, so September, October, November, and December are all considered holiday months.

Parols, the Filipino counterpart of Mexican piñatas, are beacons of hospitality hung outside doors and windows, so the cheerful light brightens the evenings and welcomes visitors. Originally the parols were used to light the way to the Misa de Gallo or the Mass of the Rooster, which is held early in the morning on Christmas Day, before the roosters crow.

Framed with bamboo or rattan, the lanterns’ sides are made of translucent rice paper, tissue, or colorful cellophane. To make a lantern, string together five long pieces of bamboo to form a star; make a second star. Place five twigs or small pieces of bamboo between the two stars, so that they bow apart but are joined at the points. Apply glue to the bamboo frame and cover with tissue. Tradition calls for a candle, but to be safe place a flashlight inside the lantern.

To prepare for the holiday, many people begin a novena on December 16, known as Misa de Aguinaldo. They attend nine consecutive days of outdoor masses held as early as four o'clock in the morning. After each mass, Filipinos gather for the traditional almusal or breakfast: salabat, local ginger tea, and bibingka or flat cakes served on banana leaves and topped with brown sugar and freshly grated coconut.

Breakfast for Four
(Misa de Gallo Almusal)
Experiment with only the traditional Bibingka and Salabat for a quick breakfast, or try all the recipes for an unforgettable Filipino holiday brunch. For a larger group, double the recipes!
Pan de Sal Fresh Breakfast Rolls
Tortang Talong Eggplant Omelet
Adobong Manok Chicken Adobo
Mango Papaya Fruit Salad
Bibingka Flat Cake
Champorrado Chocolate Rice Porridge
Salabat Ginger Tea
Barako Coffee

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Bacalhau da Consoada (Christmas Eve Codfish)

The New York Times recently had an interesting article on the importance of salted cod to Portuguese Christmas dinners:

“Bacalhau, as the fish is called here, is to Christmas Eve in Portugal what turkey is to Thanksgiving in America. Treasured since the 16th century, when Portuguese fishermen first brought it back from, it bore the nickname fiel amigo — faithful friend. Its correct preparation is a source of pride, a sign of respect for family values."
"Every Portuguese, it seems, likes to boast that there are 1,000 recipes for bacalhau and that the people here eat more of it than do those anywhere else in the world.”

If you want to try celebrating this Christmas the Portuguese way, we recommend this traditional recipe from Cuisines of Portuguese Encounters, Expanded Edition. As the author Cherie Hamilton says about it:

Codfish prepared for the consoada (the traditional Christmas Eve dinner) is an alternative to the codfish cooks with todos (literally "all"), which is traditionally served for supper on December 25. This particular recipe, besides being very enticing, appeals to those who like their codfish served in large pieces. In some homes it is served as a second course, preceded by boiled crabs, shrimp, and lobster; and followed by roast turkey or Roast Suckling Pig (page 44) and the trimmings.

2 pounds thick salt cod fillets
6 medium onions, peeled
6 carrots, peeled
2 pounds medium white potatoes, peeled
3 pounds collard greens, stems removed
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup olive oil
8 cloves garlic, smashed
6 to 8 hard-boiled eggs (1 per person)

Soak the salt cold fillets in cold water to cover for 24 hours int he refrigerator, changing the water frequently.

Drain the salt cold and place in a large pot with the onions, carrots, potatoes, greens, and salt. Cook over medium heat until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan and saute the garlic cloves until lightly golden. Keep warm.

Arrange the codfish, onions, carrots, potatoes, collards, and eggs on a large platter or several platters. Serve the warm olive oil with garlic in a bowl on the side to drizzle over the fish and vegetables.

Picture courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Khoreshe Karafs (Celery Khoreshe)

This entry has been taken from The Art of Persian Cooking, authored by Forough Hekmat.

Khoreshe is a Persian stew. All khoreshes are modestly spiced, but flavored with sour juices. The meats most often used for khoreshes are lamb, chicken, duck or other fowl rich in fat. The usual spices used are saffron, black pepper, and turmeric, but for some khoreshes hot spices are required.

Serves 4 to 5

1 Pound hind shanks or round of lamb or veal, cut into large pieces
1 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 tablespoons cooking oil
2 cups hot water
A large bunch or 2 small bunches of celery with the leaves
1 small bunch mint (1 ounce), if desired
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon saffron

Saute the meat with the onion, turmeric, salt, and pepper in half the oil until well browned. Add the water, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Cut off and set aside the celery leaves and cut the stalks into 4-inch pieces. Saute them slightly. Mince celery leaves, coriander or parsley, and the mint. Saute in remaining oil and add to the meat with the lemon juice. Simmer for about 30 minutes, or until meat is partially tender. Place celery pieces on top of meat and continue to simmer over low heat for 30 minutes longer, or until meat is tender and the gravy is rich. Add prepared saffron and serve with chelou, kateh or dami and fresh lime or lemon.

Note: Fresh green beans may be used instead of celery. When using beans, add 1 cup tomato juice or 3 large tomatoes, chopped, and no lemon juice.

Picture courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Shrimp Masala

This recipe has been taken from the expanded edition of Healthy South Indian Cooking, authored by popular culinary instructor Alamelu Vairavan.


Shrimp pan-fried with ginger, garlic, and other seasonings, Shrimp Masala can accompany many flavored rice dishes and chappatis or pooris.


Serves 4

1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
2 or 3 slivers cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped tomato
4 or 5 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons minced ginger root
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper and cumin powder mixture
1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and washed
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves

1. Place oil in iron skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, but not smoking, add cinnamon stick and cumin seeds. Stir-fry until spices are golden brown.

2. Add onion, tomato, garlic, and ginger root. Stir-fry for a few minutes.

3. Stir in turmeric powder and curry powder.

4. Add tomato sauce, cayenne powder, salt, and black pepper and cumin powder. Blend the seasonings well and simmer for a few minutes.

5. Add shrimp and mix with the seasonings. Cook until shrimp turns pink.

6. Add coriander and stir-fry, uncovered, for an additional few minutes. (Shrimp is delicious when allowed to absorb the flavor of the seasoned sauce while stir-frying over low-heat.)

Orata al Cartoccio (Sea Bass Baked in Foil)

The last of the four recipes featured in Diane Nocentini and Madeline Armillotta's video cooking blog entry:

Serves 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: one hour

4 baking potatoes, cleaned and sliced
4 (1-pound) fresh sea bass, cleaned and scaled
Salt
1 lemon, cut into 8 slices
1 tomato, cut into 8 slices
1/2 cup olives
1/2 cup capers
4 teaspoons dried oregano
3/4 cup olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Grease 4 squares of foil, large enough to enclose a fish and a potato. On each piece of foil, lay a sliced potato and place a sea bass on top. Sprinkle with salt. Put two slices of lemon and two of tomato into the cavity of each fish. Add a few olives and capers to each packet, and sprinkle with oregano and salt to taste. Drizzle olive oil inside and over the fish. Wrap each fish in the aluminum foil and lay in a baking dish. Bake for 1 hour. Serve with a crusty loaf of bread and a salad.

VARIATION: Rainbow trout or halibut steaks are appropriate substitutes, if sea bass is not readily available.

Picture courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.