For years Filipino families in the Charleston area met at each other's homes for the celebration, until Monsignor Edward Sadie invited them to hold their novena in Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral.

They gather each evening to pray and sing, then adjourn to enjoy a meal together. On the final day of the novena, they celebrate with an enormous feast featuring many native foods. The feast of Santo Niño was celebrated at the noon mass Sunday at Sacred Heart and ended with a colorful procession through the sanctuary of red- and black-clad women dancing ahead of a statue of Santo Niño, elevated throughout the procession by men dressed in barong tagalogs, which are filmy white or cream dress shirts.

After the joyful procession, they gathered in the parish hall to enjoy the fruits of many hands' labors. The generous spread featured noodle and dumpling dishes, roasted pork, egg rolls, steamed vegetables, savory chicken dishes, fresh vegetables in vinaigrette, and flan and fruit desserts.

Banquet organizer Diva Delara divided responsibilities for the feast among volunteer cooks and workers. Delara finds authentic Filipino spices and seasonings at the International Market in Kanawha City and the Asian Grocery in South Charleston. When she first lived in West Virginia in the 1970s, she and her husband, Carlos, lived in Logan.

"There wasn't anywhere to buy anything like that down there," she said. "I made everything from scratch. Now, you can buy or order whatever you need."

Several cooks shared their recipes with us, which feature some ethnic ingredients such as banana ketchup and annatto seed extract that require a trip to an ethnic market. The recipe provided for Pancit Palabok, a signature Filipino noodle dish immensely popular with both natives and those of other backgrounds, is quite complicated.

Delara suggests skipping the sauce step and purchasing shrimp gravy mix, or palabok mix. She recommends the brand Mama Sita's. She also suggests substitutes for banana ketchup (tomato ketchup with soy sauce added) or calamansi juice (lemon or lime juice.)

Pork Adobo

 1 pound pork loin, cut into cubes

 1 bulb of garlic, crushed

 1/4 cup soy sauce

 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 1/2 cup white vinegar

 1 tablespoon vegetable or corn oil

 1/2 laurel/bay leaf (optional)

Mix all ingredients in a pot. Let stand an hour or even overnight (refrigerate). Cook covered on medium-high heat until mixture boils. Reduce heat to medium, turn meat and cook covered for 1 hour or until meat is tender and only a small amount of liquid is left.

After meat is cooked, it may be browned by heating a tablespoon of oil until hot, then browning the drained meat. Pour liquid drained from meat over browned meat before serving.

Pancit Palabok

Noodles

 1 package rice sticks (bihon) or vermicelli or capellini

Garnishes

 1/4 cup vegetable oil

 1/2 bulb garlic, crushed

 1 medium onion, sliced thin

 2 pounds pork, boneless, cut in small cubes

 1 1/2 pounds shrimp, shelled, halved lengthwise

 3 tofu (soybean cake), diced and fried

 1/2 cup annatto seed extract

 1 cup ground pork rinds (chicharrones)

 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced

 2 scallions, finely sliced

 2 lemons, cut into wedges

 1/2 pound medium shrimp with shell, boiled in 1 1/2 cup water, then shelled - save the broth

 1 teaspoon salt

 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Sauce or use Mama Sita's shrimp gravy mix

 3 tablespoon vegetable oil

 2 garlic cloves, crushed

 2 cups water or broth

 1/2 cup flour

 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

 1 tablespoon annatto seed extract

 1 tablespoon fish sauce

 1/4 teaspoon pepper

 1/2 teaspoon salt

Garnish: In hot oil, brown garlic, leave about a tablespoon in pan, spoon out the rest and save for garnishing. Add onion to pan, cook until transparent, add pork, stir-cook for 10 minutes. Add annatto seed extract on pork. Cook covered for 5 minutes or until pork is tender. Add shrimp, season with salt and pepper. Stir-cook for 7 minutes. Add fried soybean cake. Set aside. Prepare remaining garnish ingredients. Set aside.

Sauce: May substitute prepared mix for this step. In hot oil brown garlic, add water or broth and simmer covered for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix flour and peanut butter, then add annatto seed extract to the shrimp broth. Mix to a smooth consistency. Gradually add to simmering garlic-flavored liquid, while stirring continuously. Season with fish sauce, pepper and salt. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes while stirring or until sauce thickens. Set aside.

Pancit: In rapidly boiling water (about 2 quarts), immerse rice sticks, cook for 3 minutes or until soft. Drain. (If vermicelli or capellini is used, cook according to the package instructions.) Transfer to a large platter. Pour hot sauce oil over noodles, liberally garnish with cooked pork mixture, hard-boiled egg slices, brown-fried garlic, pork rinds, sliced scallions, lemon wedges and shelled shrimps. Serve hot.

Barbeque Pork Skewers

 2 cloves garlic, smashed

 1/3 cup calamansi (substitute lime or lemon) juice

 1/2 cup soy sauce

 1/2 cup lemon-lime soda (like 7-Up)

 1/2 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns

 3 tablespoon sugar

 1/2 cup banana ketchup (substitute tomato ketchup mixed with 1 tablespoon soy sauce)

 2 1/2 cups lean pork, cut in long, thin slices to thread on skewers

  Bamboo skewers (soak in water for 30 minutes)

Combine in a bowl all ingredients except ketchup and pork. Add pork and marinate overnight, or for at least 3 to 4 hours. Thread meat on skewers and grill. Reserve remaining marinade and add ketchup for basting while grilling.

Recipe provided by Diana Amores.

To contact staff writer Julie Robinson, call 348-1230 or e-mail jul...@wvgazette.com.