Are you ready for Noche Buena?

Christmas is going to be fun this year because my brothers are coming home and by home I mean Hong Kong – where we are based right now.

Being the only daughter, I will be preparing Noche Buena. My mother relinquished her throne when it comes to this activity years ago and I have to admit that it is quite the task. I enjoy it though, I have to say that in case mother reads this post.

I haven’t decided on what dishes I will prepare but I figured that I should let the wines decide. I am planning to serve a nice red wine from Basi del Diablo for the main course and Virginia Blush to go with the dessert. It will be an easy path from there. Now I am wondering, what you are going to prepare for Christmas Eve? What does Noche Buena look like in your home?

Noche Buena is an important occasion for Filipinos even those who are based abroad.  And even if many of us do not have a lot of money to burn during this time of year, every family prepares something somehow. The usual fare includes holiday ham and queso de bola. But what else do Filipinos serve during this time of year?

Last year, I made kare-kare among other dishes but that one dish was the star. Our Christmas Eve dinners are usually simple. Although this dinner or midnight feast, if one has to be technical about it, should be festive, I have made sure that I only prepare up to four dishes. We can’t let food go to waste and preparing all that food can be tiring anyway.

This year, I will follow the wines and take a look at which dishes pair well with the Basi del Diablo variants I have chosen.