So the search for a caterer is over and it is just nice to check things off of the list of things to do and decisions to make. We have gone with a caterer from Worcester County, bringing a little bit of hometown cooking to the reception in a couple of ways. For those that don’t know, Ryan grew up in Worcester, the second largest city in New England. It is just 40 minutes outside of Boston, the home of Holy Cross College and where every true train diner car was manufactured.
Pepper’s Fine Food Catering made a lechon kawali that actually had Nanger and Margie and me talking about it long after the tasting. Their interpretation of Filipino food recipes which we provided them is sublime! It was obvious that they not only enjoy catering, but enjoy the creative aspects of making incredible food.
Crispy skin, and melt in your mouth tenderness served with a sweet and sour banana ketchup and a banana and sweet-potato mash. I wanted to ask for seconds at the tasting. 
They were one of the few that took my food allergies seriously. One caterer we were almost ready to go with, kept putting peanuts, fresh-water fish, and peas onto their menu. We gave them a chance to revise it in case it was an honest mistake and they replaced it with a different freshwater fish, nut and kept the peas. Is it that difficult to not poison the groom?!?
I’m really looking forward to introducing everyone to the lumpia shanghai, the pancit bihon and the other delicious Pepper’s dishes. Anyone have any special requests?
I love pancit! I have two requests: anything with mangoes. For the 4 wonderful years I lived in the Philippines, I ate the most unbelievable mangoes! Young men would walk around the streets in our village selling them for almost nothing! My second request might be harder: Can you get some Magnolia corn ice cream? My daughters don’t believe me when I tell them I ate corn ice cream.
I’m not sure about corn ice cream, we’ve found a local supplier of cheese, purple yam (ube) and candied coconut ice cream, but I think if we want corn then we’ll need to make our own (which the Torres family has done). The mangoes around here don’t live up to Filipino mangoes. We used to have a tree in the yard in Quezon City and just picked them off whenever we wanted to eat one. The local mangoes are Indian mangoes which tend to be tarter in flavor.
Maybe we’ll have a halo-halo / sundae bar. I will discuss it with Aubrey. Thanks for visiting Jane we can’t wait to have you and the girls at the wedding. You have to promise to all get facials and manis and pedis when you come.