I?M OFFICIALLY ON VACATION, yeee-haaah! I?m not about to hop on a plane and head to a deserted beach?though that?s not such a bad idea. For me, a vacation is quiet time away from work, which means no singing; and putting my feet up, which means recovery from blisters and relief for my fallen arches.

Christmas for my family isn?t anything fancy. Given that I?ve grown used to spending it just about anywhere, I can do away with the frills. Sure, we have a Christmas tree decked with ornaments acquired over the years?anything else is optional. Our one requirement is really good food.

You may have noticed that I?m a big food lover, writing about flavors I fancy wherever I travel. Who else might wax poetic about the peanut butter bacon burger found in Snoqualmie, Washington? I?m up for fine dining at a chi-chi eatery, or for steals from a hawker stand or a food cart.

Here are favorite holiday dishes that my family and I have enjoyed?whether on a cruise of the Pacific, in an aunt?s home in Honolulu, or at our own table right here in Manila.

Ambrosia

Let me start with the sweet stuff: my mother?s fruit salad. The ingredients are familiar, but the taste is heavenly. She changes the recipe depending on where we happen to be. For example, the canned heavy cream we use in Manila isn?t always easily found in the United States, so she substitutes whipped cream. ?Orgasmic? was a word a friend used upon tasting it for the first time. That made me giggle.

To make: Two cans of fruit cocktail, a can of sweetened condensed milk, a can of heavy cream?mix in a bowl, and chill. I usually head to the kitchen late in the evening for a small serving after everyone has gone to bed. It?s that good.

Pigs in a blanket

Gerard and I still absolutely love this childhood favorite. We were a family of somewhat limited means and my mother prides herself to this day on being able to make do with whatever she had. And we loved whatever she made.

Slit hotdogs lengthwise and lay a strip of cheese in each slit, then wrap the hotdogs with bacon. Line them up in a baking pan and pour tomato sauce. Bake until the cheese melts and the hotdogs are cooked. I like the edges a bit singed and crusty.

?Shabu-shabu?

This was the first meal I enjoyed on the very first cruise I took with Rob?s family two Christmases ago. We went to the Asian restaurant on board as the ship sailed into Hawaiian waters. We ordered the shabu-shabu, and had a nice, quiet (Nic was fast asleep in her stroller, exhausted) supper of broth and piping hot vegetables. It could be the panacea for this strange allergy season (for me, anyway).

Saimin

In Honolulu, there?s a diner called Like Like (lee-keh lee-keh). Open 24 hours, the place offers local specialties like Portuguese sausage or Spam with eggs and rice, or hamburger steak with rice and gravy. I like ordering a big bowl of saimin, a plantation dish inspired by ethnic workers?Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Filipino, Korean?in early 20th century Hawaii. It?s a hybrid of Chinese noodles, Japanese udon and Pinoy pancit. With Portuguese sausage thrown in, Japanese fish cakes and Korean vegetables, it?s yummy, perfect after a night on the town.

Finally ? fruitcake

I am probably one of the few people in the world that will never, ever, recycle fruitcakes as gifts. Yes, the joke is that they?re sometimes used as paperweights or doorstops, but I personally look forward to receiving them, and certainly eating them. A slice or two with a steaming cup of coffee completes my Christmas.

From my family to yours, HAVE A WONDERFUL AND BLESSED CHRISTMAS! Bon appetit!