I wouldn’t exchange my childhood in the Philippines for anything. The whole family sat down to supper just about every night: my grandparents, mom, dad, and my two brothers. But every Sunday, all my mother’s brothers and their families would arrive in the afternoon and stay till late into the night. Those suppers were extra special. Sunday suppers meant not just fiesta-worthy food (and lots of it!); they also meant hide-and-seek or capture-the-flag games that lasted until the wee hours of the morning. Yes, Monday was a school day, but we didn’t care. We would have played until the sun came up if the grownups let us. (They sometimes did.)
That was our Sunday, every week of the year. We also spent summers and school holidays together, and as if that weren’t enough, we even scheduled occasional mid-week slumber parties. Fifteen cousins in all and we were all each other’s best friends.
We still are.
Now we have families of our own and live in separate countries. But each time we get together, it’s like nothing has changed. My brothers and I don’t often get to spend regular weekends together, but we thoroughly enjoy every chance we get to see each other. Every occasion is filled with laughter, reminiscing, and of course, food.
This weekend, I planned to host dinner for my brothers and my dad, who is in town for a visit. But instead, Saturday was demolition day and by early evening, I was too exhausted and too heartbroken to even think about cooking. So when my older brother suggested Sunday lunch at a dim sum place near my town instead, I readily agreed.
One thing I can always count on is the healing power of family. Spending two hours with them helped me forget the heartache of the previous day. (That’s my younger brother up there with his daughter Bianca. That’s the same Bianca in this giggle-fest. She still laughs the same way. It’s so adorable. And therapeutic.)
Our family—our entire extended family—shares a bond that is unbreakable and lasting. It is a bond forged by blood and kept alive by genuine friendship and deep love. It is a bond strengthened by more than 20 years of Sunday suppers. You don’t have to sell me on the idea of Sunday suppers; most of my cherished family memories and our little inside secrets took place during those childhood Sunday suppers.
So when I was asked to participate in this Sunday supper “project” to help promote Pam Anderson’s new book One-Dish Dinners: All You Need for Easy Get-Togethers, I didn’t need to be asked twice. Pam’s one-dish recipes were created with the goal of making it easy to both cook a great meal for your family and guests and actually enjoy their company rather than stressing out in the kitchen. I know Pam and I’ve watched her work. I know that when a recipe leaves her hands, you can be sure that it works, and it’s likely the best way to make that dish.
There’s a reason her many of her cookbooks have the word “Perfect” in them.
Because I always love a challenge, I set out to make her Doable, Delicious Paella for Sunday supper. Paella is big in the Philippines, and I’m pretty picky about it because my aunt makes amazing paella. Ordinarily, I would have never even considered making it for a “regular” dinner, without any invited guests. In my head, paella belongs to a league of ultra-special meals, the kind that feature a pig roast or beef roulades (morcon) that take almost 24 hours to prepare. But Pam’s recipe takes less than an hour to make, with very little prep work required. And so Sunday supper this week was intimate, just me and Tom, and a pan of paella with its gorgeous color and the rich flavors from the chicken, seafood, and chorizo. Never mind that I didn’t have the right pan for it, or, for that matter, the right stove. Never mind that I didn’t have enough rice either. The taste was spot on and the paella was exactly as advertised: doable and delicious, and in less than half the time it takes to make the traditional Filipino-Spanish version.
(And never mind that it was 8pm and there was absolutely no natural light in the kitchen.)
I can’t recommend this book enough. Every main dish is presented as part of a complete menu, with the recipes for the accompanying courses as well. (For the paella, it was a Baked Goat Cheese in Tomato-Olive Sauce with Toasted Baguette appetizer, Mixed Greens with Gazpacho Vegetables for the salad, and Orange Sherbet with Hot Fudge Sauce for dessert. Yes, all those recipes are included, and she even gives you shortcut versions if you’re pressed for time. Need help with wine choices? She’s got you covered there too.) You can certainly mix and match side dishes and desserts as much as you want, and in fact, I had planned to make her Creamy Flan for dessert. But at the last minute, I decided to leave that off for another day. I just didn’t have the heart to displace two traditional Filipino recipes in one night.
Thank you for this post, recipe, and for your beautiful words.
I love Pam’s new book (I can’t wait to try some of her recipes) but I really love this:
One thing I can always count on is the healing power of family.
Sandy @ RE
Oh my, that looks delicious!
Love this post. We will have to try Pam’s paella soon. Your photos are stunning, like always!
Love this post, Erika! And I love that Mom’s book makes it easier for you to prepare one of your favorite dishes for a weeknight dinner :) But of course, there’s no substitute for the real deal on a special occasion! (Which I hope I get to try someday!) Thank you for participating. We love you, cupcake ;) xoxo
I can’t wait to try this Paella recipe! My hubs looooves Paella and I always shy away from making it since it takes so much time…Pam is just plane awesome! Loved meeting you at BlogHer Food! Sending a huge hug your way :-)
Erika, thank you for talking about the lasting impact those Sunday Suppers had on you. It’s sad that more people don’t have that experience.
Oh wow this looks good. I was already thinking I need this book but I think you just sold me on it.
It is so touching to read about your family’s healing suppers. It’s funny because sometimes our extended family meals can be complete with drama (fortunately this only happens occasionally!)…but they all weave together the story of our lives – and give us things to laugh at later! xo
I am loving Pam’s book too and that looks fab, and that is about the cutest, tiniest little cast iron pan I’ve ever seen!
This looks amazing…I can smell it through my computer screen! And I couldn’t agree with more, The healing power of family is like nothing else!
Even with no natural light, your photos are gorgeous!! I really want to make this soon! :)
I loved the wine pairings and instant alternatives in the cookbook. Heck, I appreciate any cookbook that truly helps me get dinner on the table rather than challenges me.
I have never tried Paella before, but there’s nothing stopping me now! Beautiful pics, love the second one especially.
I was looking everywhere and this popped up like notinhg!
Erika, I knew I loved you and your mama, but now I know *why*. We grew up the same way, chica. Extended family throughout the week, meals that led to playtime and back again. There’s something so magical about a childhood like that. Sad as I will be to leave you and Maggy in the next few years, it’s my main reason for wanting to move back to Texas. I need to be able to give that kind of childhood to my kids. I loved your post. I know demolition day was hard, but out of it will come something new and beautiful: a new home that is yours and Tom’s and Tim’s, a home that you built together. A whole new experience that will bond you to one another. *hugs*
See…..I knew I had a reason to justify a paella pan!
Looks amazing Erika, think it needs to be on my next make from the book! Love the pic of your brother and your niece – so pretty/handsome :)
The Sunday dinners of your childhood sound just perfect!
Yuuuuum…that one is at the top of my list to try soon. My daughter requested it!
What a great story and I am so jealous of your Sunday Suppers growing up. They sound like such a treasured event.
Great post and great photos…seriously? With no natural light it turned out that good? You’ve got talent!
There is absolutely nothing like the warm cocoon of family to hold the world at bay for a bit. I remember lazy Sundays running around the farm with my cousins, making boats with my Pa-paw to float in the creek. I wish my boys had as many cousin to run around with sometimes. I adored hearing about your families strong bond. By the way Pam’s paella looks out of this world good :)
I love Paella and can’t wait to try Pam’s version {your fotos have me drooling}! I’m sure it’s going to be scrumptious!
The paella looks fantastic, and your niece is gorgeous!
That looks delicious.. I wish I could shoot photos like that w/o natural light.
More importantly though, congrats on completing and moving beyond the demolition. I’m sure it must have been difficult but that it’s a big relief to have it off your shoulders, and now you can really focus on moving forward.
Just wanted to say thanks for this post. I love the relationships that cousins have, so special. I stumbled upon your blog looking for bread recipies (am totally hooked now on Bread in Five Minutes A Day) and returned just today via a tasty kitchen member. So sorry to hear about your loss of your home and posessions.
Lovely post! I am a huge family person too. This paella looks really good!
This is such a lovely post, Erika. You spelled out perfectly what it means to be a family. Your photos are gorgeous, as usual – natural light or no natural light.
Oh my, the colors are amazing here, if they are anything to go by I bet the paella is incredible! I love Pam’s boo, I bet her version is incredible!
Hi! I got your link from PW. From your logo, I sensed alreafy that you’re Asian. Reading this post confirmed that you really are asian. And I’m so proud you’re Filipino also. I love your blog! Keep on writing…
Assisted me a lot, exactly what I was searching for: D.