Noche Buena 2010

Unlike last year when I was pregnant and feeling woozy, this time around I slaved over the kitchen for our Noche Buena 2010. In choosing the recipes I will make, I searched in the internet and local magazines. In the end, I settled for the following dishes. I wasn't able to make the shrimp bisque already!

Pineapple-glazed roasted spare ribs - trust on pineapple and its juice to make your dish flavorful in an instant. My kids devoured this

Slow-cooked salmon with creamy leeks and red wine butter - a recipe I found on Saveur:)

smoked salmon and capers boursin - appetizer served with melba toast. This turned out to be hubby's favorite.

Green papaya salad, Vietnamese version - a dish I learned to prepare at the Hanoi Cooking Centre

White Chocolate cheesecake - chef Aileen Anastacio recipe

The Noche Buena is what makes Christmas exciting. It's a prelude to the time when the family opens gifts. Holidays are hard to come by in my line of work and this year, my company declared Dec 24 a no working day. I was certainly happy and used the time to go grocery shopping and cooking. I don't know what Christmas will be like next year. Other people make this toxic season bearable by just ordering from restaurants and caterers. I might just do that too:)