New Year Salubong Preparations and Medya Noche

Happy New Year everyone. I am beginning the year with this first blog for 2021. Of course it will be about the preparations last night and what we had for Medya Noche.

So I started slaving myself in the kitchen in the morning. I prepared my Butter based Goat Kaldereta, my family's recipe minus some of the ingredients that I couldn't find at the supermarket. 

I also thawed the ribeye steak pieces for the Ribeye Steak in Thyme, Rosemary and Butter. 

And for desert, I  baked the cake in the morning, and finished in the afternoon after we arrived. Here are the Monster Chocolate Cake... 

Two different layers, both with rich custard filling and covered with Chocolate ganache.

I will share the recipe and procedure for each dish in separate posts. These are just the food I prepared. Teacher Grace and Teacher Gil also prepared their Medya Noche offerings that the three of us had so much food to enjoy. Plus the school gave each of us a New Year cake.

We were thinking our Medya Noche would turn into a cake party with 3 similar layers plus the ones I made.

I gave mine to our TukTuk driver to take for his family, while Tr. Grace cake, because of some accident, was turned into cake balls covered in melted chocolate.

Here are the rest of our food for Medya Noche:

First table, we had Teacher Gil's Charcuterie and the wines and sparkling drinks.

Second table, Kakanin Bilao 

composed of Palitao, Kutsinta, Pluto Flan and Cheese Puto - all Filipino treats we love, plus they are round, so timely for Filipino New Year salubong. And of course the remaining cake given by the school.

Third table, we have Tr Grace Maja Blanca, with toasted latik on top

Cake balls, and Banana Cake with Chocolate chips, 

some bread slices I made days before, and my Monster Chocolate Cake.

Fourth table (ironing board turned table he he he), our fruit, money, candle and plant offerings for New Year salubong palihi.

On our dining table, plated ribeye steak with Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes all cooked with butter, my Goat Kaldereta, Tr. Grace's Carbonara 

and Tr. Gil's Beef Mechado.

It was quite too much food but Pinoy Salubong pamahiin dictates that we must prepare a lot to represent abundance in the coming year.

We lighted the candle and allowed it to burn until only a little remains. Light represents light in our journey all through the coming year, while money and ginger root represents growth of fortune in the coming year.

And this Rosemary Plant, aside from being one of the best herbs to use in the kitchen, represents life and growth, healing and spirituality. It was really nice to have it part of our new year salubong palihi.

I also have my separate table inside my room, on my table of offerings for my altar.

Well, there you have it. How was your new year salubong celebrated? What did you prepare, and what Pinoy salubong palihi did you do?