Feast
Restaurateur Ana de Ocampo serves up a bountiful Thanksgiving spread that echoes the avours of Italy
Atavola non si invecchia” or, to put it in English, you never grow old at the table. Indeed, in the Italian context, one feels ageless when there is so much warmth, comfort, and pleasure to be derived at the table. Both the company one dines with and the generous platters of food literally transform the dining table into a place where everyone can gather around to enjoy a bountiful feast of good things.
While anksgiving in the context of the North American holiday is not o cially celebrated in Italy, there are numerous festas di Ringraziamento—literally, thanksgiving feasts—that are held in honour of various patron saints throughout the year. e meals served on these dates are generous and border on the decadent: plates and platters of regional delicacies are spread across tables to be shared with family and friends.
Ana de Ocampo, one of the brilliant culinary minds behind Wild our and its more recentlyopened sister-establishment Wild Flour Italian, has captured the warm camaraderie as well as the spirit of sharing exuded by these celebrations in a special meal she prepared for
some of her dearest friends: a tight-knit group made up of Michelle Tiangco, Kay Tinga, Small Laude, Kathy Huang, Melba Solidum, Cristina Romualdez, and Veronica Marfori.
De Ocampo’s luncheon was a meal that played up generous, shareable portions and was redolent with big, bold Italian avours—a spread that would look equally inviting on a Noche Buena table for Christmas Eve, a family luncheon on Christmas Day, or even a sumptuous Media Noche supper to usher in the new year.
To set the pace, de Ocampo transformed one of the private dining rooms at Wild Flour Italian into a space that looked like something one would encounter in a rustic yet wellappointed villa in Tuscany. As de Ocampo herself puts it, “I wanted to make my friends feel at home at the luncheon, so I was inspired by the casual and relaxed style of the Italian countryside.”
As a result, fresh owers blossomed in abundance on the table, anking colourful plates and glassware that played up the homey, friendly atmosphere. But more than the accoutrements, it was the food that really took centre stage.
For de Ocampo, food is one of the unifying elements of any festive celebration. “My family and I share a passion for food and relish the dining experiences that bring us together,” she says of the anksgiving spread she prepared. “It wouldn’t be the Holidays without enjoying dishes we reserve for a special occasion.”
Indeed, de Ocampo pulled out all the stops for this particular meal which featured a number of specialities from the Wild Flour Italian menu. Guests heaped their plates from generous platters bearing chicken roasted to a golden turn, Tuscan pâté slathered on slices of
rustic bread, and a board generously heaped with charcuterie and cheese. For those taking a healthier stance towards festive eating, cauli ower al forno joined classic insalata caprese and a brightly-hued tricolore salad on the table.
As this was an Italian anksgiving, the meal had to include pizza and pasta—two dishes that were meant to be shared with a crowd. “We served some of the restaurant’s bestsellers: the pizza Margherita, an Italian sausage pizza, and the spaghetti alla vongole,” de Ocampo says.
But a feast for the Holidays would not be complete without a magni cent roast to serve as both main course and centrepiece. Here, de Ocampo has eschewed the turkey that has long been part of the American anksgiving menu and has replaced it with something far richer and grander: porchetta— that roll of rich pork, beautifully seasoned inside and out, roasted to perfection with crisp crackling on the outside and meltingly tender meat within.
A meal as abundant as this one would not be complete if desserts weren’t served towards its end. Great slices of freshly baked panettone, that traditional yeast-raised loaf studded with fruit and nuts, were enjoyed along with creamy mascarpone topped with lush strawberries. Cashew meringues and zeppole daubed with chocolate sauce—deep-fried confections that are a cross between doughnuts and choux pu s made their way to the table, much to the ladies’ collective delight.
“To compliment the dishes, we served Aperol spritzes and Americano cocktails for those who needed an energy boost; as
“I WAS INSPIRED BY THE CASUAL AND RELAXED STYLE OF THE ITALIAN COUNTRYSIDE”
“I believe that the holidays are a time for people to gather around the table with their friends and family, and enjoy food that’s made out of love”
well as guilt-free fresh Arancia (orange) and Cetriolo (cucumber, mint, and calamansi) sodas made in-house,” de Ocampo adds.
De Ocampo is of the opinion that, more than either the food or the décor, it is one’s family that makes a holiday celebration complete. “Christmas, for example, wouldn’t be complete without my husband and two children,” she opines. “Back when my grandmother was still around, our whole family would spend the Holidays at her house. She would prepare an exceptional spread, which included many of her heirloom recipes, including lechon, lengua, chicken galantina, chicken pastel, and hot chocolate made rich and thick with peanut butter.”
In this age of holistic living and healthy eating, some would claim that the festive feasts of yore are outdated and certainly unhealthy customs that ought to be pushed to the backburner. But de Ocampo thinks otherwise: for her, sharing food with those one loves is the core of celebration.
“I believe that the Holidays are a time for people to gather around the table with their friends and family, and enjoy food that’s made out of love,” she says. “Whether it’s a turkey feast served with stu ng and the creamiest mashed potatoes or healthier takes on these dishes, what matters most is who you surround yourself with.”