Aside from scrambling to finish Lonzo’s last two chapters before the year ends (I would have finished it sooner if not for the USB incident…lost two chapters and had to rewrite it again)…I am already stressing myself with what to serve my relatives for our annual get-together lunch every January 1. My Ma volunteered to host the party, so it’s already automatic that I am again the assigned cook. *sigh*
Every year since I discovered this passion for cooking, I always tried to come up with something different. Lemme see, I already served Indonesian beef rendang, chicken ala king, baby back ribs, roasted turkey (complete with stuffings), rosemary-garlic chicken, roasted lamb in wine reduction, the usual baked fish in sea salt and of course the salpicao with red wine which became popular with my relatives. Now what? I was running low on ideas on what to whip up for our 2010 lunch.
Since I am in the process of finishing the manuscript, I want recipes that I can prepare 2 days before New Year’s Eve. And they have to be oven-friendly too. I am eyeing another roasted lamb recipe, a garlic-butter fish dish and an easy chocolate cake for dessert. Since my Ma will be the one to cook Pininyahang Manok, I don’t have to concern myself with poultry. Now…I need to find a good beef recipe that is not the usual mechado or something that looks and tastes like it.
I came across another blog of a friend the other day. She wrote that she enjoyed watching Meryl Streep play Julia Child in Julie and Julia. So out of curiosity, I watched the movie and loved how it resonated with the foodie in me. And I got acquainted with the very famous recipe of Julia Child – Boeuf Bourguignon. It was a eureka moment for me. That will be the beef dish I will be serving this year since I can prep it a day or two ahead and according to many gourmands who already tried this heavenly dish- it only gets better as it gets reheated!
I hope I can channel Julia Child this time and satisfy my relatives’ palates – may they have that bon appetit epiphany. Lol.
