Traveling Tummy: A Sydney Noche Buena

Noche Buena here in Australia is way smaller than the ones we usually have in Manila. It's really just my immediate family and I love it that way. Ever since we moved to Sydney almost 5 years ago, some of us have stayed and others have gone back to live in Manila and we are all never in the same place at the same time anymore. Spending the holidays together is definitely a treat and I like how we keep Noche Buena small, intimate but still very yummy.

For dinner before the 9 pm mass my mom made roast pork with crunchy skin-

It was sooo good, and this is coming from someone who has always preferred beef or chicken over pork.

I made portobello mushrooms stuffed with spanish chorizo and baby clams with a basil cream sauce. Doesn't look very pretty in the photos, I was in a hurry lol-


Then, AFTER mass, like typical Pinoys on Christmas Eve, we were ready to eat again. So I prepared-

A big platter of rosemary bread sticks wrapped with prosciutto, garlic melba toast, aged cheddar, blue stilton, strawberries, figs and wild mushroom and duck pate.

My mom made my favorite-

Strawberry Shortcake :)

And my sister made Vanilla Custard (with a real vanilla bean) for our plum pudding

We had some Riesling and Shiraz with our food. Went to bed stuffed and happy and ready for the big Christmas Day party!




Merry Christmas everybody!

Kitschen Chaos: A Home-Cooked Christmas Dinner

So, technically, my boyfriend Abdul doesn't celebrate Christmas, but since I do, and I'm leaving today, we decided to have a little home-cooked meal before we parted ways for the holidays.

I don't have time to blog all the recipes now, so technically, this shouldn't be under Kitschen Chaos, but I promise to share when I get to Sydney!

What we cooked:


Chunky, Thick tomato soup served with garlic cheese toast.

---> This could work as a meal on it's own!


His Specialty- Salpicao. I have to say, it's really good!


Pesto Mac n' Cheese with Sharp cheddar and feta. I was gonna make another kind too but it was just me and him (and Ananda who barely ate)



Also on the menu---> Salad w/ my secret dressing and warm cookies and vanilla ice cream for dessert. We went through two bottles of wine!

Off to Sydney!