But don't worry - you'll get to burn off the calories on the dance floor with Peter Pelvis and his band, plus the kids will be wildly entertained and distracted by a jumping castle (fingers crossed we don't have rain!), face painting by Tash and unlimited popcorn! There will also be an open bar with beers and wines, and a non-alcoholic fruit punch for kids and adults alike.
As this may well be the first experience of Filipino feasting for many of you, I thought it would be good to give you a preview of what we are going to have with a bit of a description of the various dishes. These descriptions will also be available on the day so you know exactly what you are eating (apart from the fact that it's yummy stuff) so don't feel you have to memorise all this.
And yes, there will be LOTS of food so please do come hungry! Here's what's in store for you:
Appetisers: Pulutan or pica-pica
Filipinos love to snack, specially if there's a bit of alcohol involved. The operative words for these snacks are spicy, salty, and yes, a bit fatty! A few items for you to sample include:
- Garlic nuts
- Salty green peas (like Wasabi peas but not that spicy)
- Chicharon - deep fried crispy pork skin to dip in chilli garlic vinegar. Because you can't have too much pork in life.
Buffet:
The main event. The tables will be groaning with the following:- Lechon - whole roasted pig covered in crisp mahogany-coloured crackling, served with a lechon sauce - a sweet and spicy gravy cooked from pork juices and other good bits of the pig. And we have not just one, but TWO of these piggies! Yum, yum. Special thanks to Talavera Lechon who will be delivering all the way from the hinterlands of Blacktown.
- Beef caldereta - slow cooked and tender beef casserole cooked in a rich and hearty tomato sauce with pate, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, olives and red capsicum. Originally adapted from the Spanish from when they colonised our country for 300 years, the word "caldereta" comes from the word "caldera" meaning cauldron. This is from our favourite Filipino restaurant in Dee Why (possibly moving to the City very soon!) - Lamesa
- Chicken adobo - chicken pieces marinated and cooked in soy sauce, vinegar, lashings of garlic, peppercorns and bay leaf, topped with caramelised onions and with optional side dish of fresh tomato, garlic and basil salad (see below). Considered by many as our national dish, the cooking method "adobo" is apparently indigenous to the Philippines. Typically, it is said there are as many versions of cooking adobo as there are cooks, so this is my special version, which Adrian only gets when he's very very good.
- Ginataang sitaw at kalabasa - one for the vegetarians, this translates to pumpkin and long beans simmered in coconut milk. I did mention Filipinos love their meat, and vegetable dishes are often NOT vegetarian - there's always a little bit of meat, seafood, fish sauce or shrimp paste tucked in there somewhere! So this is my vegetarian version, to ensure that my vegosaurus friends don't go hungry at the party. Carnivores also welcome to partake of this dish.
- Ginisang talong - another adapted vegetarian dish, this is a Chinese-style sauteed eggplant simmered in a complex sauce with soy sauce, shaoshing wine, chilli, garlic and ginger among other ingredients. This dish is a nod to the Chinese heritage that Filipinos also have - pretty much all Filipinos are some mix of Chinese-Spanish blood - we are one of the original Eurasian cultures!
- Pansit bihon - another nod to my Chinese side, this is sautéed rice vermicelli noodles topped with chicken pieces and lots of vegetables. Another dish from Lamesa and specially cooked by Raquel and Ray.
- Lumpiang sariwa - our version of fresh spring rolls, this is made from handmade crepes instead of rice paper. We will have two versions - a vegetarian one filled with just veggies, and one with veggies and chicken, and both served with its distinctive sweet sauce with peanuts and garlic. This is again courtesy of Lamesa, because I don't have the skills to make these fiddly crepes! The term "lumpia" came from the Hokkien "lunpia" and the dish was brought to the Philippines by Chinese immigrants.
- Embutido - best described as a Filipino style meatloaf, it's a log of minced pork, vegetables (carrots, capsicums, onions), spices, sausage and hard boiled egg. Steamed or baked, it's usually served cold or slightly warmed through, and dipped in a sawsawan (sauce) of banana ketchup - a unique Filipino condiment - or sweet chill sauce. An absolute favourite for special occasions, and loved by kids, this is made from my own Mother's recipe, so lots of good memories are tied in with this dish.
- Ensaladang kamatis, bawang at balanoy - meaning, salad of tomatoes, garlic and basil drizzled with olive oil, this is the optional side dish for the chicken adobo. Very similar to a salsa, it's my own little touch to make adobo even nicer!
- Kanin - very simply, steamed long grain rice to go with everything! It ain't a Filipino buffet without fluffy white rice.
Dessert - Panghimagas:
And of course, we can't not have dessert!
- Fruit salad, Filipino style - a bit of a retro dessert, this is a very rich Filipino dessert made from canned fruits, maraschino cherries, condensed milk, thick cream, young coconut flesh (buko) and nata de coco (a multicoloured, jelly-like, chewy sweet product made from coconut milk). I've Westernised it by adding a few fresh fruits in season.
- Hummingbird cake - courtesy of Simmone Logue (because my baking skills aren't that flash!!), this is my absolute favourite cake, with tropical fruits including fresh mango, and made even more luscious with cream cheese.
So there you have it - a feast that I hope will be worth the wait. See you all on Sunday!!!
