LIKE many starstruck Filipinos, I’ve often wondered how celebrities spend Christmas. I can imagine some of them flying off to exotic foreign places to get away from fans and the paparazzi (or at least hie-ing off to their favorite vay-cay spots for a bit of peace and quiet), or partying the night away with a few hundreds of their celebrity friends (think: Kendall and Kylie schmoozing with Gigi, Bella and the rest of the Kardashian posse).
What most of us don’t know, or at least tend to forget, is that most of these celebrities are ordinary folk (as ordinary as breaking fast with Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez on a yacht can get, if you get my drift) who probably want nothing more than to spend a day with family, opening gifts and following timeless traditions.
While they party and glam it up for the rest of the year, many of these celebrities circle back to hearth and home for the holidays.
Some members of media, including myself, were given a peek at how these celebrities spend their Christmases at a special get-together sponsored by San Miguel Corp.
With its spacious San Miguel Pure Foods Culinary Center (SMPFCC) decked out in beautiful purple and gold Yuletide trimmings, and a musical group serenading us with Christmas tunes, the holiday mood was definitely in the air as we were treated to an afternoon tête-á-tête with three featured moms of celebrities who gave us a sampling of the goodies they prepare each year for their families. Of course, we also enjoyed the side dish of gossip about their families that was served along with these dishes. (I mean, who else do you go to but the source right? In this case, “Mama” is the word….)
The get-together, dubbed “Nostalgia: Holiday Cooking with Celebrity Moms,” featured Angeline Dantes (mom to Dingdong and grandma to Zia), Chupsie Medina (a newspaper editor, as well as wife of Pen Medina and mom of Ping, Karl, Victor, Alex and Katherine, and, by the way, owner of PenPen, a restaurant on Tomas Morato that serves comfort food); and Rina Casiño (dedicated Pinterest enthusiast and mom to Albie).
“Christmas in the Philippines will always be rooted in tradition, and among these, Noche Buena is certainly one of the most important and most awaited. With moms like Angeline, Chupsie and Rina generously sharing their home-cooking secrets, we hope to give other moms, home cooks and foodies new ideas on how to make their family meal even more special this year,” says Llena Tan-Arcenas, San Miguel Purefoods culinary services manager.
ATTENDANCE IS A MUST
FOR example, at the Medina household, attendance is a must during the holidays and the Chicken Molo Soup is the go-to dish that reels them in. While the holiday menu may vary depending on current taste preferences (salted eggs, at the moment), this is the dish the family goes back to every year. Chupsie, who demonstrated its preparation in the capacious and state-of-the-art SMPFCC kitchen, serves it with an extra dose of love and comfort during the chilly holiday season.
“My family loves this, because it’s a heartwarming dish,” she says. “It’s perfect for those cold early mornings, after we’ve been to simbang gabi.”
Chupsie learned the art of cooking from her mom, who used to rustle up tasty home-cooked meals during weekends. Now Chupsie dishes out her own delicious versions of sinigang, adobo and the family’s favorite classic pasta and steak.
EVERYONE’S INVITED
YOU know how Christmas poses a challenge for couples (especially the young ones) who have to divide their time (equally) between in-laws? As mom to three girls and two boys (most of whom have families of their own), Angeline Dantes has provided the perfect solution to this: invite the in-laws.
“It makes it easier for all of us to just have everyone over during Christmas so we’re all together for the Noche Buena. No one is in a hurry to leave, and we can all enjoy our time together,” she confesses.
Not only does it solve a lot of logistical problems, it helps the whole family (yes, including the in-laws) grow closer and really feel the Christmas spirit, especially now that there are grandchildren to pamper and enjoy. (Having her grandchildren gathered together while opening their gifts is one tradition she intends to continue to the next generation.) A huge fan of traditions and big family gatherings, she would prepare batches of her best-selling Russian Potato Salad (using a recipe inherited from her mother) and Meatloaf (about 3 kilos’ worth at last reckoning) for the Christmas meal.
“I used to cook embutido, but it was so tiring to prepare so I decided to tweak it, and now it’s a meatloaf,” she discloses.
For additional Noche Buena treats, Angeline has a box of recipes written on index cards that she and her daughters consult whenever the need rises. (It’s probably the most valuable heirloom in the Dantes household.) As if that wasn’t enough of a challenge, she also prepares her kids’ favorite dishes in advance (like Dingdong’s marinated tapa) and sets these aside for them to bring home after the Noche Buena feast.
PINTEREST IS HER BFF
OF the three moms, Rina Casiño is probably the one I can relate to the most. Mainly because she’s a big fan of Pinterest, and Pinterest is also my best friend.
A baking enthusiast, Rina confesses to being a latecomer when it comes to this culinary passion.
“I started baking just recently. I don’t have professional training. Most of my baking knowledge, I get from Pinterest,” she confesses.
But that hasn’t kept her dishes from becoming big hits at every party (her Apple Cinnamon Crumble Loaf is to die for, as are her Chocolate Chip Cookie Cakes, Marshmallow Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting and her no-bake cheesecake jars.)
Above all, Rina is known for her cheese spreads. Her most popular is her Cheese Pimiento (my absolute favorite of the afternoon’s holiday spread), but she also has other dairy concoctions she can brag about, like her Kesong Puti Truffle Spread, which can be used as a spread or as part of her pasta or pan de sal pizzas. Her cheese spreads have become so popular among family and friends, most of them have taken to giving them as gifts during the holidays. (She has since parlayed her culinary enthusiasm into a home business called RLC Kitchen.)
During the holidays, she and her husband become a tandem in the kitchen—he takes care of the pasta and she, the dessert. Her sons Albie and Adam, on the other hand, are the food critics.
They help her improve her dishes and provide inspiration for new recipes.
Her secret weapon? A KitchenAid mixer. “Life becomes so much easier when you have a KitchenAid.”