Filipino Style New Year's Menu

I have been thinking of making round shaped food for New Year's Eve. I grew up with this tradition of eating 12 round food on New Year's Eve, usually 12 grapes, you can't really eat, say 12 apples (or watermelons?) or 12 putos in one sitting. It has something to do do with money (coin), which means the New Year will bring you luck, financially, the next 12 months. This old wives' tale/superstition most probably came from the Chinese, or maybe from the Kastilas (Filipino term for the Spanish-Filipino) or a combination, I don't know. I remember as a child every January 1st I was forced to wear a polka dot dress, silly, I know, but what can you do when you're a child, you have to do what your parents tell you. You can't have a tantrum or you'll be crying the next 365.242199 days.

New Year's Eve Menu:
Beef Morcon (meat roll-up or roulade), recipe here
Filipino style macaroni salad, recipe here
A plateful of puto: white, ube, pandan and Biñan, recipes here
Caramel coated yemas (egg yolk candies), recipe here
Piayas and Silvanas (if I have time)
I will post the finished snacks and sweets on different days as I finish making them.

My 2006 Top Fiction Books

I just finished reading my last book for this year, the excellent MEASURING THE WORLD by Daniel Kehlmann, translated from German by Carol Brown Janeway.

Here are my 2006 top 5 fiction books, all earning 5 stars, in no particular order:

• THE LAST WITCHFINDER James Morrow
• MEASURING THE WORLD Daniel Kehlmann
• AMAZING DISGRACE James Hamilton-Paterson
• THE PALE BLUE EYE Louis Bayard
• THE BLUE AFTERNOON William Boyd (1995)
  

I read a total of 25 fiction and 4 non-fiction books this year, oof, that's too much (I need to watch more TV):D

Cornish Game Hens Adobo

I couldn't decide what to prepare for Christmas. Turkey is for Turkey Day so that's out, I was considering roast duck or goose but then I have to either roast a small chicken or cornish game hens for people who don't like duck. I decided on a large chicken to add to the usual ham, queso de bola, etc. Since I already have these very tiny (less than a pound each) Cornish game hens taking up space in my freezer (nope, I did not hunt these myself) I cooked them adobo style using fruity pineapple vinegar and sherry instead of the usual Filipino coconut vinegar, and with just a tablespoon of soy sauce. The result is a sweetish adobo with deep dark brown sauce and is utterly delicious. It reminds me of the quail adobado that we used to order at Mingoy's restaurant in Magallanes. I was really thinking of quail to make into adobado but then the ones I saw in the grocery all look anorexic, literally skin and bones. The cornish game hens are healthier looking and meatier and cute...

Boiled mung beans with garlic chunks, sliced onions, a bay leaf, some sea salt and lots of Spanish extra virgin olive oil is the perfect vegetable soup to serve with the flavorful hens. I don't saute the garlic and onions, I just boil them together and there are no added flavorings.

LAST MINUTE CHRISTMAS WISH: Aimee Mann Christmas CD
This seems out of the ordinary. The queen of angsty music and perpetually dour Aimee Mann singing Christmas songs! I can't wait to hear them, one song was co-written by her husband Michael Penn and Jon Brion, woohoo.

Quince Marmalade

I am loving David Lebovitz' cookbook RIPE FOR DESSERT. His quince marmalade looks so good with Spanish Manchego cheese, one of my favorites which I always use for apple and fig grilled cheese sandwich. You will need 3 quinces and half a lemon.

To make: Place in a medium sauce pan 3 cups sugar and 4 cups water, bring to a boil. Quarter, peel and core the quinces then coarsely grate using a metal grater. Add the lemon half and the grated quince to the boiling syrup. Slow cook on medium heat until thick and reddish in color, about 30 minutes or when candy thermometer reads 220. Remove the lemon half and spoon into clear jar. Enjoy.