My small collection of cookbooks at home usually stay on the shelves until such time I need to look up a recipe for sampling in the kitchen. Some of them offer food porn. Others are straight-up instructional material. But The Cracker Kitchen begs to be read from cover to cover. That’s because behind the good food of the American Colonial south are wonderful stories–family anecdotes sure to make you laugh out loud.

Janis Owens’s warm and welcoming prose introduces the reader to the world and foodways of the Cracker. The 150 recipes are grouped according to season with menus tailored for the many family get-togethers associated with Cracker life. It’s a whole year of eating Cracker-style. It even comes with a pantry list to make sure you have everything you need just in case you’re in the mood to cook every recipe in this book

As I reached the last page, Ms. Janis has got me hooked on her cracker ways. So pardon me as I head to the stores to buy myself the cast-iron pans and dutch oven. I’ve got a whole year of Cracker cooking to do.

The Filipino Noche Buena feast is Castillan in origin but a hundred years after we “declared independence” from Spain, it has evolved into a mishmash of dishes from later colonial masters. The jamon en dulce (a sugar-glazed ham) doesn’t enjoy top-billing anymore. The star could be any of the following: the fashionable pritchon (a fried suckling pig), a lechon (a roasted pig), a roasted turkey or a Peking duck (for those have a hankering for something Chinese).

But it’s not the “nationality” of dishes that makes it special. It’s the preparation that goes into it. Usually there is a signature dish for each family that is meant to be shared with family and friends.

In my family, jamon en dulce was definitely the star. But Mom would make other dishes like morcon (a rolled beef flank stuffed with sausages) or halayang ube (a purple yam jam) to give to our neighbors. From there, the spread would grow: we’ll get fruit salad, ensaymada, biko, potato salad, empanadas, etc. What was just a ham, cheese, and bread would become a spectacular table of Christmas goodies.

In my husband’s family, it was always a catered affair at the “big house” (that’s Nanay’s house in Davao). The husband always goes straight for the lengua estofada (stewed ox tongue).

A year into wife-hood, I feel pressured to come up with my own signature Christmas dish. My mom’s an excellent cook. The husband’s family are big on good food. I’m used to making Jamon en dulce but need to work on the glaze. I’ll have to learn to make lengua estofada for the husband. Too bad I won’t be able to cook it this year, though. I’ll have a whole year to practice and perfect it to make next year’s Noche Buena more special.

Starting next week, most of us will be attending Christmas parties one after the other. Parties mean lots of food. So what’s a health conscious person to do? Do they avoid parties like the plague? Of course not! They can still eat and enjoy the food without derailing from their fitness regimen.

I interviewed the Fitness Director of Slimmers World Robert Baranda and asked him what he’d recommend health-conscious individuals to do to prepare for the onslaught of the good food that’s bad for you this Christmas season.

Recommendation #1: Before touching the jamon (or anything else high in fat), make a beeline for the vegetable salads or dishes first. That way, you’ll have less room for the bad items.

Recommendation #2: If you’re trying to avoid alcohol, carry your beer or cocktail using your less dominant hand. That way, you’ll drink less.

Recommendation #3: If you’re trying to control your urge for hors d’ oeuvres, use your less dominant hand to pick up and hold them. You’ll end up eating less pica-pica.

Have fun and merry Christmas everyone! Enjoy what you eat but don’t go overboard.