A meaningful birthday celebration

CEBU, Philippines —  There are several reasons why we celebrate birthdays. One reason is that it is a way of giving thanks to the Almighty for allowing one to be born and celebrate life. Another reason is that it is a great opportunity to strengthen the bond between family and friends.

I scarcely remember celebrating my birthday, mostly because we had family reunions every Sunday in our ancestral home and in the residences of my father’s brother and two sisters.

Our grandmother, aunts and us, the grandchildren, would play mahjong while waiting for lunch to be served, and in the afternoon, it was the turn of the gents of the family to play poker.

Last August 1, Joel Marie Yu invited me to celebrate the birthday of his wife, Patsy Yu of the Escaño Clan. Joel said limited his invitation to members of the Yu family, his close friends, and Patsy’s close friends.

It was a privilege to be invited to this party because his home is renowned to serve very good food and drinks. I was fortunate to have tasted the Yu-Escaño family heirloom dishes which had been served during past gathering and parties.

Opening the celebration were appetizers like Dynamite Lumpia paired with San Miguel beer. Later, Single Malt Scotch Whisky and a Cognac Chateau Paulet were opened. Cebu Lechon, a centerpiece of many celebrations was not served because a Roast Leg of Calf was present. Appetites are stirred while viewing the calf’s leg and smelling the smoke flavoring while it is roasted in the pit.

The main dishes were: Callos alla Joel Yu, Heirloom Cannelloni, and Spaghetti alla puttanesca. Joel has mastered the cooking of the Callos which unfortunately, is not available elsewhere because the ingredients used are expensive.

The quality of Callos sold in the better Spanish restaurants in Cebu is pale in comparison. Only beef tripe from Australia is used and the taste of the beef stew is tweaked with the La Noreñense Chorizo en Manteca de Cerdo.

The Heirloom Cannelloni is a lasagna made with a cylindrical type of pasta. It is baked with a filling and covered with a sauce. The pasta is homemade and filled with the meat of native chicken and other select ingredients. It takes three days to make this dish and the taste of this pasta is, excuse me, extremely delicious.

There were nice desserts to close this superb dinner: Birthday Cake with fresh fruit toppings, Bacio Ice Cream (Pistachios, Coconut & Passion Fruit & other flavors), and Silvanas. Everyone had a great night together.

Thank you, Joel and Patsy for your generosity and hospitality. It was a pleasure to be included in such a lovely birthday party.