despite the nasty nor'easter and all the timezone bloghopping, we were able to pull it off.
my cup (of happiness)*, and the buffet table runneth over with all the delicious enticing dishes (and a very interesting chicken entry from Canada), from all over the blogmap..
thessiree, the early-song-bird arrived first with a handsome babypug whose smile will melt your heart. he carried the bagfull of goodies from the land of tulips and windmills...chef thess prepared honeylicious ribs, vermicelli, fresh lumpia with hazelnut sauce, celiak's Southern-fried chicken wings, and her signature suplada coffee with a kick (guaranteed to pick you up or knock you out). make sure you visit her new kitchen!
eet smakelijk, thess!
anna banana prepared a most festive table full of Korean pica pica so beautiful to look at, and suspiciously healthy too...i don't have too many chances to have Korean food, and anna takes us on a wonderful culinary tour...now i have yooboo chobap, sanjok, sujungkwa, sikhye, and toppoki to try, and venture beyond bibimbop and kimchi (hers is homemade!!!). thank you annabanana, i must have nutritious food once in a while.
from ting-aling's newly renovated kitchen came the catch of the day, large lobsters two styles... may i have extra helpings of the lobsters in coconut milk? (had to dig out our baby bibs and break out the paper towels)...essential and perfect finger food, finger-licking good.
from the land of BMW and VW, Gewurtztraminer and Beck's,cheH our fantasy party planner brought a luscious seafood paella, bloggerburgers, a wine cellar full of spirits, ticklish entertainers--check out their coconuts...ahem!...she even solved the problem of party favors...you get to pick goodies! we have to distract the husbands and boyfriends who insisted on crashing this girls' night out...
i was worried that she wouldn't arrive, but chef schatzli was able to break out of an impasse with Norse trolls and brought me her promised trolls' and Greek gods' treasures--parmesan tuiles and goat cheese tart, sure to transport us to Viking heaven, ja!
our only entry so far from Inang Bayan, the Philippines, our pilgrim, Karen brought the pilgrim's fish balls & buchi and to showcase such skewered fantastic food that made us remember the itinerant hawker and street food of our youth, i rented a little fishball cart with a gas burner and the three requisite dips...thank you Karen, i feel reassured now that we have a recipe for these little snacks. the buko (young coconut) juice is just the perfect refreshing accompaniment! a basketfull of sweet mangoes too (thess will share, yes thess?).
my nearest neighbor in the Northeast, stefoodie, who made sure her children were well-fed before coming over, brought my favorite "pulutan" of all time, and my children's favorite cake, sisig and tiramisu ...thank you for making time for us stef! and now you can indulge your cheese cravings because...
chefceliaKtraveled to Spain from the UK and she must have soaked up all the ambience and flavors because she brought her cheesy nachos, pinchitos, and sangria (i think i'm stealing that word pinchitos it's so cute celiaK! )...beware the sangria folks, it's a fruity and dangerous drink...
it led us to the surprises of the evening when atinna flashed her red and flaming flamenco skirt (along with some very scrumptiously unique Japanese tidbits of nishime, edamame and taramo, and assorted Japanese snacks) and castanets. after the twirling and stomping and clapping...well our Filipino festive DNA broke free, and we tossed her roses and Bravos! and Encores! thank you my dear... it was heart-stopping and electrifying. another beloved friend from Germany beng of aromatic blend broke out in an itik-itik, the most glamorous version we've ever seen (remember you have to sing/dance if you don't bring a dish!) and then...
the lights dimmed and my make shift stage curtain drew to a close, where the sultry and elusive cacofonix presented her signature manok sa dilim (chicken in the dark) and even better, serenaded us with her jazzy yet silky renditions of two classic party songs. it was a career-defining moment, there was stunned silence, and then a standing whooping ovation. two award-winning performances, by two beauteous and sparring long-time friends....applause, more roses, more refreshments passed around and we spotted scanns ...their other long-time friend and now ours too...with her cases of vintage classic coke and a huge cake for even more dessert*...singing my daughter's favorite song, "reflection", christina aguilera style..."who is the girl i see...?" thank you daday, i'm so thrilled you're here. (you can tell me about cacof and atinna later when they've gone home)...
so the eating and the singing and dancing so integral to the Filipino concept of a party...wait! at last, my neighbor from the South, the one and only JMom has brought us her delectable
spinach-stuffed mushrooms sshhh! JMom i think this is all mine now...ooops, i've just been caught trying to hide the platter, sorry...okay pass it around. whew! i was so worried you weren't coming JMom, thank you for rushing over, i doubly appreciate it.
and now the winner of the talent contest....
muffy doing her impression of Madonna
heehee, just kidding.
see, i hope i haven't left anyone out and late comers are still welcome. everyone please enjoy, i've so missed the Filipino-style parties full of food, song, and laughter. you know, the good old "ati-atihan" spirit where we all laugh out loud and long and sway to the beat of the music?
the essence and style of a Pinoy party...it can never be too much, and too much is not enough. i think we soaked some of it up from the Chinese , because my husband's family serves food this way too. but then again, we share the party spirit with the Spanish and its former colonies too don't we...
let's do this again. soon. please?
*p.s. parang sumabog na pinyata...i got "found out" and was showered with love. thank you for all the birthday greetings but this party is all about you, my dear new found friends. if only we could do this for real. thank you thank you thank you...