Noche Buena or “Good Night” refers to the night of Christmas Eve. This is a very special night for Filipinos because this is the time where family and very close friends come by and enjoy a very special Christmas dinner. This event usually takes place after hearing the late night Christmas eve mass that we refer to as Misa de Gallo.
It is the time where all the special dishes are prepared and shared with everyone. During my childhood years, this is the time where I meet all my relatives and have a very wonderful time with my cousins and my only sister. For some of us, time changes and we need to move on to pursue our dreams chase what lies ahead of us. I don’t mean to be sentimental ; I am just reminiscing and thinking of those good times when we (me , my wife, and kids) are with the special people that we truly cherish (in the Philippines). I’ll sure plan to spend Christmas there when we are completely settled here in Chicago.
This is our second Christmas dinner here in the USA. For this year, My wife and I decided to have a simple Noche Buena. Since I have just three hours to prepare the food (because of work and commitments), we made sure to select the ones that are easy to prepare (and easy to digest ). For the appetizer, we prepared Marinated Shrimp with lemon dill sauce and Deviled Eggs with salmon. We had Fettuccine Alfredo, Baked King Crab Legs, and Spiral Ham in Lingonberry sauce for the main course. Fruit salad and New York Style Cheesecake were served for dessert.
Even though I am not in the Philippines to spend Christmas, I am still happy because my wife and kids are now with me. That’s what really matters most.
Belated Merry Christmas to everyone and a Happy and Prosperous new year to you and your family. May we shower everyone with love and continue to share our blessings. Thank you for always patronizing Panlasang Pinoy. Rest assure that we will always be here for you to provide vital information for the years to come.
Trissa says
Noche Buena in the Philippines is truly a special event that sets us apart from all other countries! Hats off to you and your wife -- you only had three hours to prepare and yet the dishes you came up with! Great work! Wishing you the best for 2010!
janice says
Hi there..belated merry xmas and a happy new year in advance!You are right,it’s really different how people spend Christmas and New year here in the US..as they said,iba pa rin ang pasko sa pinas!nwez,are u going to post the recipes of what u prepared last xmas?i would love to know..hehe..regards to ur family..
Edlen says
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY, HOPE THE COMING YEAR WILL BE PROSPEROUS FOR ALL OF US. THANKS FOR THE RECIPES.
Sheila says
This is my third year in the US with my family. Sometimes I felt worn-out because of too much work so I decided to plan a worthwhile outlet and that is cooking. I am not a good cook so I need to self learn. God lead me to your website. I tried lumpiang sariwa, Max’s style chicken, and cheese cake. Thanks for sharing. May the Lord bless all your plans. Greetings to your wife and kids from my family.