The greatest gift

CEBU, Philippines – The Christmas season in the Philippines is touted to be the longest in the world. For media people, like me, this means a lot of work for us in the newspaper lifestyle circle.  Aside from documenting all these festivities, we also need to be part of the feasting on all the delicious food, and drinking all the fine wines and spirits.

Invitations come by email, text messages and letters. It is, particularly, a tradition among the better hotels and business establishments in Cebu to open the season every year with their respective Christmas Tree Lighting events. I got an invitation, excuse me, from Plantation Bay Resort and Spa in Marigondon, Mactan Island (www.plantationbay.com).

While waiting for Santa Claus to arrive appetizers were served – Cream Cheese & Chicken Taquitos with Salsa & Ham, Deviled Egg, Baked Capsicum in Feta Cheese and Pizza Roll-Ups. Then Santa came, not on a sleigh pulled by reindeers but on a two-wheel hover board.

The centerpiece of the Christmas food presentation was the Plantation Bay Black Lechon, surrounded by tiered trays and platters of Quiche Lorraine, Seafood Vol Au Vent and Chicken Barbeques. The chefs were busy cooking pasta in the live-cooking stations and guests could select from among the four types of pasta: Ravioli, Pappardelle, Farfalle (Bow-Tie) and the Squid Ink Pasta.

At the Moriawase Station, guests queued up for a taste of the freshly cooked prawn and other tempuras, while service crews were quick to refill empty wine glasses with either red or white wine – Jacob Creek Chardonnay and the Jacob Creek Shiraz Cabernet.

I had my blood pressure checked earlier in another hotel and the lovely nurse gave me a barely passing mark, border line! So I was very careful in hovering near the signature dish at Plantation Bay – the Black Lechon whose skin is entirely black but not burnt (soy sauce with oil does the trick). With much hesitation, I ultimately gave in to temptation. I took a piece of the crispy lechon skin with the luscious fat beneath and delicious meaty tissue.  The taste was, oh, truly wonderful!

Desserts then followed: Mango Cream Cheese Cake, Irish Chocolate Truffle and the Crema Catalana.

Christmas Day is barely 48 hours away and so I take this opportunity to share a prayer with all my readers:

“Lord, Christmas is a time of joyful celebration as we remember Your greatest gift for us, sending Your son Jesus Christ to save us all. And we always remind ourselves that this is the true meaning of Christmas… Thank you, Lord, for Christmas.”