Turning 60, one flavorful bite at a time

Since I turned 60 in late June, the celebrations have been a steady stream of lunches and dinners marking this milestone — much to my waistline's dismay.

- WITH PAT-P

But more than the added calories, weight and inches, what I truly cherish are the intimate gatherings that come with these celebrations: moments spent with friends, sharing laughter, stories and delicious food.

One such memorable evening was marked on my calendar: a dinner with dear friends Mr. M, Mariole Alberto, Enrico Santos, Leo Katigbak and Joel Mercado. Sadly, Law Tan, Keren Pascual and Korina Sanchez couldn't join us at the last minute, but that didn't stop the rest of us from enjoying a night filled with conversation and camaraderie.

From 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., we took over at Mi Cocina Café Restaurant y Bar in Quezon City (luckily, we reserved a private room, the place was teeming with diners), feasting on a delicious spread of Spanish tapas — jamón Serrano and jamón Ibérico, callos, gambas, linguine with Spanish sardines, pollo rojo pesto and paella mixta. The pièce de résistance? A surprise from Mi Cocina co-owner Joel: a perfectly roasted cochinillo with skin so crisp it crackled under our forks and meat so tender it practically fell apart. Sticking a birthday candle on top was easy — it stood proudly on the golden skin like a crown.