The Filipino Family Cookbook Recipes and Stories From Our Home Kitchen 9789814561426

The
FAMILY
COOKBOOK
Recipes and Stories from Our Home Kitchen
Angelo Comsti
00 Prelims p1-13.indd 1 28/8/14 9:07 AM

Editor: Melissa Tham
Designer: Lynn Chin
Photographer: At Maculangan
Copyright © 2014 Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited
Published by Marshall Cavendish Cuisine

An imprint of Marshall Cavendish International
All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form
or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior
permission of the copyright owner. Request for permission should be addressed to the Publisher,
Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited, 1 New Industrial Road, Singapore 536196.
Tel: (65) 6213 9300 Fax: (65) 6285 4871 E-mail: genref@sg.marshallcavendish.com
Online bookstore: http://www.marshallcavendish.com/genref
Limits of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The Author and Publisher of this book have used their best
efforts in preparing this book. The Publisher makes no representation or warranties with respect to the
contents of this book and is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe in this book. While the
Publisher has reviewed each recipe carefully, the reader may not always achieve the results desired due
to variations in ingredients, cooking temperatures and individual cooking abilities. The Publisher shall in
no event be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage, including but not limited to
special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
Other Marshall Cavendish Offices:

Marshall Cavendish Corporation. 99 White Plains Road, Tarrytown NY 10591-9001, USA • Marshall
Cavendish International (Thailand) Co Ltd. 253 Asoke, 12th Flr, Sukhumvit 21 Road, Klongtoey Nua,
Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand • Marshall Cavendish (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Times Subang, Lot 46,
Subang Hi-Tech Industrial Park, Batu Tiga, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Marshall Cavendish is a trademark of Times Publishing Limited
National Library Board, Singapore Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Comsti, Angelo, author.

The Filipino family cookbook : recipes and stories from our home kitchen / Angelo Comsti. – Singapore :
Marshall Cavendish Cuisine, 2014.
pages cm
ISBN : 978-981-4561-42-6 (paperback)
1. Cooking, Philippine. 2. Formulas, recipes, etc. – Philippine I. Title
TX724.5.P5
641.59599 -- dc23 OCN885301282
Printed in Singapore by Craft Print International Ltd
00 Prelims p1-13.indd 2 28/8/14 9:07 AM

DEDICATION
For my family, who always feeds my hunger and zest for life.
And my country, which provides me an endless feast.
00 Prelims p1-13.indd 3 28/8/14 9:07 AM

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
What these pages fail to show are the team’s relentless support and hard work,
which deserve as much recognition as the book itself. I send my sincerest
gratitude to the people who allowed me to realize this dream.
To At Maculangan and Sasha Lim-Uy who helped me attain the best in my work.
Your contributions have not gone unnoticed and are greatly appreciated as they
have turned our collaboration into a true keepsake.
To Lydia Leong and the Marshall Cavendish team for welcoming my ideas and
putting them in print. Thanks for recognizing my passion and love for my country.
To the contributors, whose talents and trust I admire. Our friendship goes beyond
these recipes and I extend the same generosity you have given me, even more.
Thank you.
00 Prelims p1-13.indd 4 28/8/14 9:07 AM

CONTENTS
Introduction 7
Contributors 8
Soups, Rice and Noodles 15
Vegetables 33
Feature: Recipe by Geography 45
Poultry 47
Seafood 69
Feature: Our Local Harvest 95
Meats 97
Desserts 129
Feature: A Taste of the Regions 150
Weights and Measures 153
Further Reading 155
About The Author 156
00 Prelims p1-13.indd 5 28/8/14 9:07 AM

00 Prelims p1-13.indd 6 28/8/14 9:07 AM
INTRODUCTION
Filipinos communicate through food and it is a language that often speaks volumes.
We use food to welcome guests, a veritable expression of our trademark
hospitality; we use food to wish someone well, whether he is in an unlikely state
of health or going through trying times; we use food to express gratitude with
a grand fiesta for a generous seasonal harvest. It’s a staple in many celebrations
and momentous occasions and has in fact become witness to many events,
including those in each and every Filipino household.
My search for my Lola Ponying’s Taisan or Sponge Loaf Cake started me
on this journey to preserve my family’s recipes. It surprisingly led to this—a book
that allows my friends in the industry and myself to reminisce and savour our past,
all while inviting many others to join the feast and embark on the same journey.
Having been simmered in colourful history and perfected by generations
of families, the Filipino dishes found in these pages are rich in flavour. More than
that, they are rooted in home cooking, which is essentially the heart of the local
cuisine. Each recipe is spiced with stories and photos that give each dish more
depth and an impression that lasts much longer than the lingering aftertaste.
The book’s menu is as varied as the country’s history. Some date back to as
far as the 1940s and some display the influences of China and Spain. Adobo
makes a couple of appearances in various forms, showing how geography
influences cuisine. The resources dictate the dish, while the palate seasons it to
personal taste.
At the core of this book is the value of family. Filipinos are known for their
strong family ties and food has become instrumental in keeping that intact. True
to being a cultural language, the dishes in this book serve to honour our elders,
as well as to thank them not just for preparing delicious traditional food that is
synonymous with our childhood but also crafting memories to remember them by.
I have finally gotten my hands on my lola’s Taisan recipe and you can find
it in this book. It’s a culmination of a long-time search and the start of making new
memories. In a way, The Filipino Family Cookbook will hopefully fill in the gaps
among generations and let the food do the talking. Kainan na!
00 Prelims p1-13.indd 7 28/8/14 9:07 AM

CONTRIBUTORS
Bestselling cookbook Eliza Antonino is a founder Chona Ayson owns

author Aileen Anastacio and managing partner Homemade Treasures,
runs longtime pastry shop of the Moment Group, a made-to-order, home-
Goodies N’ Sweets and which set up a string of based business in Porac,
café-cum-cooking school successful restaurants Pampanga, recognized
Marmalade Kitchen. in Manila including ‘Cue, for buttery ensaymadas
PHAT Pho, and 8 Cuts. and sansrivals.
Kathlyn Ong-Cham runs Kalel Chan is the The author’s sister-in-law

a household of two boys corporate chef of the Angela Abcede-Comsti
and helps out in the Raintree Group of is also quite talented in
operations of her mom’s Restaurants, which the kitchen. She regularly
Angel’s Kitchen restaurant handles Mr. Jones, bakes treats like cupcakes
and line of fine foods M Café, MoMo, and and cakes.
called Mi Casa. Kabila among its many
successful brands.
00 Prelims p001-013.indd 8 5/9/14 9:56 AM

Arnold Bernardo runs his Amy Besa is a bestselling A young chef with an Apart from heading her
own brand called Deep cookbook author as well already studded and own PR company, Gwen
Dips, a producer of as chef and owner of impressive career, Allen Jacinto-Cariño is also a
gourmet bottled goods, Purple Yam, a Filipino Buhay runs the busy co-organizer of the annual
like antipasto, fish and restaurant with branches kitchen of popular food fair, Best Food
fermented fish paste. in New York and Manila. Wildflour Bakery+Café. Forward.
Rachel Costas is a food A recognized actress Jun Jun de Guzman Ana Lorenzana-de
writer who contributes since she was 13 years doubles as a culinary Ocampo is the beauty and
to a Cebu-based daily. old, Janice de Belen is instructor at the Centre brains behind Wildflour
Her matriarch founded now a commercial brand for Asian Culinary Bakery+Café in Manila,
Aristocrat, a 75-year old endorser and a cooking Studies and a kitchen which has made a mark
iconic Filipino restaurant. show host. management consultant in being a place for
for big companies and satisfying comfort food
resorts. and pastries.
00 Prelims p1-13.indd 9 28/8/14 9:07 AM

Chinky Dionisio doubles Dedet dela Fuente has been An Ex-Officio Member
as a preschool teacher the reliable source for of the Sangguniang
as well as the kitchen delicious whole roasted Panlalawigan in Isabela,
operations manager of pigs for years now. Her Francis Dy has ventured
her family’s Nipa Hut Pepita’s Kitchen has into food with The
Restaurant. hosted many degustations Butchery artisanal
to date. sausages.
From a kitchen hand Gino Gonzalez is a chef Rafael Jardeleza II

to chef de partie at instructor at the Centre champions Ilonggo cuisine
The Cake Club, Decker for Asian Culinary Studies with his annual Tabu-an
Gokioco’s talents with as well as chef owner of Festival. He also runs a
food can’t be contained. Buenisimo restaurant and catering company in Iloilo.
He recently launched his La Taqueria Amiga Mia.
own brand of chilli sauce.
10
00 Prelims p1-13.indd 10 28/8/14 9:07 AM

The other half of the Muffin Galvez helps to run J Gamboa continues the Robby Goco opened a
team behind home-based her family’s 65-year-old legacy left by his mother number of outstanding
company The Butchery, restaurant Casa Marcos, by managing the long- Manila-based restaurants
Jessica Gallegos churns taking care of staff time running Milky Way, including CYMA Greek
out a line of artisanal training, inventory and AzuThai, Tsukiji and Taverna and Green
sausages with unique front of house. Cirkulo restaurants. Pastures, which serves
flavour combinations. farm-to-table cuisine.
Jam Melchor is a chef As the assistant Marnie Ong is one of the As the editor-in-chief of
instructor at Lyceum managing editor of five owners of Angel’s the country’s oldest food
University and owns Bite Yummy magazine, Kitchen and AK Bistro magazine, Nana Ozaeta
Contemporary Cuisine. Idge Mendiola styles restaurants, which have continues to immortalize
He is also a food stylist. food and reports about been serving no-fuss, delicious recipes and
the local and international sure-to-satisfy home-style food stories in print.
food scene. food for years now.
11
00 Prelims p001-013.indd 11 5/9/14 9:56 AM

Jin Perez is a famous Jackie Ang-Po is an Ige Ramos is an award-
blogger and newspaper international award- winning designer and
writer whom people have winning pastry chef. food writer. He is an active
relied on for what’s new Her shop Fleur de Lys promoter of the food
and on trend in the local Patisserie has been and history of his home
food industry. in operation for over province, Cavite.
a decade now.
Cocoy Ventura is the Lander Vera Perez is a A stay-at-home mom and

Culinary Director at local celebrity and culinary the author’s first cousin,
Gastronomique En graduate. He owns an Faye Fuentes-Viray creates
Vogue. He recently events company and wonders in her home
returned to his hometown has appeared in kitchen for husband Mike
in Isabela to tend to numerous television and daughter Michelle.
his family’s farm and offer shows and movies.
culinary services.
12
00 Prelims p1-13.indd 12 28/8/14 9:07 AM

Myke Sarthou is a stalwart A respected chef in the Award-winning writer The Eat + Drink editor of
to regional cuisine, industry for over 30 years and food historian Felice lifestyle website SPOT.ph,
evident in his restaurant now, Jessie Sincioco Prudente Sta. Maria Sasha Lim-Uy is a nosy
and catering business continues to be busy with authored The Governor- restaurant writer. She has
Chef Tatung. her restaurants, Chef General’s Kitchen: also released a book on
Jessie and 100 Revolving, Philippine Culinary Manila’s Top 10 best food
and her catering company. Vignettes and Period items.
Recipes.
Karen Young, though not Addie Wijangco is a home Stephanie Zubiri is a food
professionally trained, baker who is famous writer and food brand
is the chef behind Karen’s for her soft and fluffy ambassador. She also
Kitchen, a pastry brand ensaymadas, which created the Gypsetters.net,
known for delectable use her grandmother’s a website devoted to the
cakes and pastries. generations-old lifestyle of the sophisticated
Kapampangan recipe. traveller.
13
00 Prelims p1-13.indd 13 28/8/14 9:07 AM

01 Soup,Veg,Poultry p014-067.indd 14 28/8/14 9:08 AM
SOUPS, RICE AND NOODLES
Corn Picadillo 16
Meatball Soup 18
Dumpling and Noodle Soup 20
Sopa de Flan 22
Mung Bean Soup with Seasonal Vegetables 24
Fresh Corn Soup 26
Guama’s Fried Rice 28
Paella 30

Cynthia Isidra Comsti’s
Corn Picadillo
Shared by Angelo Comsti
My dad would man the grill and cook his own dishes sometimes, but it was really my mom
who ruled the kitchen. She used to work full-time, but when she decided to be a stay-at-
home mom to us, her four kids, she busied herself with running the house and being active
in church. As a devout Catholic, my mom religiously attended and served Mass, led novenas
and joined activities spearheaded by the church. Her influence prompted me to participate
in a youth organization that met once a week to pray and open up about our own religious
journey. Believe it or not, I was even swayed to becoming a priest when I was a kid!
In spite of her church responsibilities, my mom had time to churn out heavenly eats from
the kitchen. This corn picadillo is one of them. It’s something she brings out fast, perfect for
those long days. Whenever it is served, I end up flooding my plate of rice with the broth.
She has another version, which uses winged beans (sigarilyas) instead of corn, but she knows
this version is my favourite.
Serves 4 In a pot, sauté onion, garlic and tomato. When onions are
1 small white onion, peeled
soft and translucent, add minced pork and continue sautéing
and minced until cooked. Season with salt and pepper.
3 cloves garlic, peeled and Add corn kernels and sauté for another minute.
minced
Pour in water and let boil until corn is tender. Adjust amount
1 large ripe tomato, diced of water according to preferred consistency.
500 g minced pork
Adjust taste with fish sauce. Serve.
salt and pepper, to season
2 ears of corn, kernels
removed from the cob Tasty tip If using winged beans, follow the same recipe as above
21/2 –3 cups water and replace the corn with 250 g chopped beans.
fish sauce, to taste
16 Soups, Rice and Noodles

Guillermo Daluz Ramos’
Meatball Soup
Almondigas na may Tinapa, Misua at Patola
Shared by Ige Ramos
The addition of thin wheat flour noodles (misua) and sponge gourd (patola) obviously came
from the Chinese, but this very simple dish is cooked in many homes in the Philippines and
is available in small eateries (carinderias) all over Cavite. What makes this almondigas unique
are the aromatic vegetables such as chopped onions, garlic, carrots, spring onion and
Chinese parsley (kinchay) in the meatballs. My father also puts smoked fish flakes (tinapa) to
impart a smoky flavour to the meat.
Rice wash (water from washing rice) is traditionally used as broth, but any soup stock will
do depending on taste and preference. My father swears that this soup cures the worst of
hangovers—it supposedly is a good post-bar crawl meal.
Serves 4 to 5 In a large bowl, combine minced pork, fish sauce and

250 g fatty minced pork
pepper. Mix.
2 tsp fish sauce, or to taste Fold in chopped carrot, onion, garlic, Chinese parsley,
1
/2 tsp ground black pepper spring onion and smoked fish flakes. Mix well.
3 Tbsp finely chopped carrot Take small pieces of meat mixture and form into 2.5-cm
3 Tbsp finely chopped onion diameter meatballs. Place on a tray, cover with cling film
and keep refrigerated until needed.
1 Tbsp finely chopped garlic
2 Tbsp finely chopped In a medium pot, bring second rice wash to a simmer.
Chinese parsley (kinchay) Drop in as many meatballs as you want. (You can keep
2 Tbsp spring onion, the rest frozen for use another day.) The meatballs will float
finely chopped when cooked.
5 pieces smoked fish (tinapa), Add sponge gourd and allow to simmer for 2 minutes.
preferably round scad (lalaking
galunggong), flaked
Add misua and cook for a minute or until al dente. Adjust
to taste with fish sauce. Serve.
5 cups second rice wash
(hugas bigas)
1 small young sponge gourd This dish of Mexican origin is usually served during the rainy
(patola), cut into 0.5-cm rounds season. The correct spelling of the name is albóndigas, which
100 g thin wheat flour noodles means meatballs in Spanish, but the letter “b” was dropped and
(misua) replaced by the letter “m” during the trans-Pacific voyage.

Teresa Aventino Abcede’s
Dumpling and Noodle Soup
Pancit Molo na may Sotanghon
Shared by Angela Abcede-Comsti
My mother, Teresa, fondly called Baby, worked in Washington DC as a secretary for the
Egyptian and Ethiopian embassies for five years. She returned to the Philippines when I was
in high school. I first tasted her pancit molo at a house party where it was a hit among guests.
It has since become her best soup and one of my all-time favourites among her repertoire
of dishes. It has glass noodles and shiitake mushrooms, which give her pancit molo a unique
aspect. She probably fused this dish with another one of her great recipes, sotanghon.
Serves 6 Boil chicken with carrot and celery for 30–40 minutes or until
1 small whole chicken
cooked. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside to cool.
Set aside chicken stock.
1 small carrot, peeled and
minced Once cool enough to handle, flake chicken. Set aside.
1 stalk celery, minced In a bowl, combine minced pork, garlic, onion, eggs and fish
500 g lean minced pork sauce. Mix. Season with salt and pepper.
1 clove garlic, peeled and Place a teaspoon of minced pork filling in the centre of a
minced molo wrapper. Dab edges with water. Fold wrapper and make
1 medium onion, peeled two ends meet. Seal. Do the same with the rest. (You can
and minced freeze molo for use another day.)
2 eggs
Boil chicken stock and add as many molo as you want.
1 tsp fish sauce Add mushrooms, flaked chicken and drained glass noodles.
salt and pepper, to season Cook until noodles are tender.
frozen molo wrappers, Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with spring onions. Serve.
as needed, thawed
5 large dried shiitake
mushrooms, sliced This dish is named after Molo, a historical district in Panay, which
flourished in local and international trade back in the day. The
200 g glass noodles (sotanghon),
promise of commerce caused many Chinese to move to the
soaked in water
area, consequently turning it into a Parian or Chinatown. Unlike
chopped green onions, to many other pancits, which are dry, this is rather soupy. Naming
garnish the dish after the place of origin is common as it identifies
the distinction among the cities and regions. Other examples
include Ilocos Empanada and Pancit Malabon.

Rosario Arnedo Gonzalez’s
Sopa de Flan
Shared by Gino Gonzalez
This recipe has been with my family since the time of my great grandmother Rosario.
I didn’t learn it from her but from our cook, Ate Cely, who served and stayed with our family
for more than 20 years. Through Ate Cely, I was able to record the recipe and hopefully
pass it on to my own family. My encounter with sopa de flan dates as far back as my first
memory of food. During our Sunday family lunch, I vividly remember sitting across my Lolo
Beda, Lola Pilar, brother, Andrew, my uncles and my dad, Gene. We would exchange stories
while enjoying lavish feasts. We still celebrate these traditions to date and the sopa would
make it to the menu every once in a while. I’ve turned it into hauté cuisine by plating and
re-interpreting it for tasting menus as well as introducing a whole egg instead of pure egg
yolks, for more stability and a better texture.
Serves 8 to 10 Prepare flan. In a bowl, combine egg yolks, whole egg,

15 egg yolks
evaporated milk and nutmeg. Mix to combine. Transfer
to two 13 x 18-cm greased baking dishes.
1 whole egg
2 370-ml cans evaporated milk Cover baking dishes with foil and place in a deep baking
pan, filled with water to come halfway up sides of baking
a pinch of nutmeg
dishes. Bake for about 30 minutes.
4 cups chicken stock
Remove from oven and let cool. When firm and set, cut into
1 cup cream
2.5-cm cubes. Set aside.
3 tsp brandy
salt and pepper, to taste In a medium pot, simmer chicken stock with cream and
brandy. Season with salt and pepper.
1 Tbsp chopped chives
In serving bowls, place flan cubes. Pour soup over. Garnish
with chives. Serve.
Tasty tip Baking the batter inside a bigger pan half-filled with
hot water is known as cooking in a bain marie or hot water bath.
This process allows the dish to cook gently and evenly.

Pablo Ventura, Sr.’s
Mung Bean Soup with Seasonal Vegetables
Shared by Cocoy Ventura
At an early age, I was introduced to vegetables that even my mother, a Manileña, was not
familiar with. Even then, I enjoyed the different textures and tastes of vegetables. When
my mom cooked savoury mung bean soup when I was young, she always set aside a scoop
of softened mung beans for me. She added condensed milk and ice, allowing me to enjoy
a little treat before lunch.
When I was about 12, on a day of harvest, my father asked me to cook a meal for the
farmers. Clearly, we were short on people that day. With glee and much excitement, I cooked
mung bean soup with dried shrimps (hibe) and vegetables picked from my aunt’s garden
nearby (without her knowing). I prepared steamed, tender leaves of yam into a salad and
added fresh-picked tomatoes and bagoong. I also cooked a vat of rice—a skill taught to
children in my province even before they could read or write. At such a young age, farming
was seared in my consciousness as an integral aspect of gastronomy. What we eat is nothing
without the devotion of farmers. I want to revisit these dishes in celebration of my agricultural
heritage, the farmers and the bounty of the countryside.
Serves 4 to 5 Reconstitute dried shrimps in 1 cup hot water. Reserve liquid.

1
/2 cup dried shrimps (hibe)
Using a mortar and pestle, pound shrimps into a lumpy
paste. Set aside.
1 cup whole green mung beans,
washed In a pot over medium heat, bring mung beans and water
6 cups water to a full boil. Lower heat and simmer for 45–60 minutes until
beans are tender. Add more water, if a soupy consistency
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
is desired.
6 cloves garlic, peeled and
minced In a frying pan, heat oil until it smokes. Add garlic and sauté.
4 small red onions, peeled Add onions and continue sautéing until soft and translucent.
and diced Add reconstituted dried shrimps and tomatoes. Cook until
6 ripe tomatoes, diced everything has broken down.
2 Tbsp fish sauce or anchovy Add fish sauce or anchovy paste and reserved liquid. Stir.
paste (bagoong isda) Transfer contents of pan into simmering mung bean soup.
salt and pepper, to taste Stir and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
a handful of squash blossoms
Just before serving, add vegetables to hot mung bean soup.
a handful of moringa (malunggay) Let stand for a couple of seconds. Season to taste.
leaves, stems removed
Tasty tip Lightly blanch the vegetables to still enjoy each one’s
distinct taste. In our household, we keep fresh vegetables on
the side and add them in halfway through the meal, so as not to
overcook the greens.

Estanislawa Albergas’
Fresh Corn Soup
Suam na Mais
Shared by Aileen Anastacio
When I was growing up, my family would often head out to Bulacan on Sundays for our
traditional family feast at our grandmother’s house. Our meals were always composed
of multiple courses and we had this soup every other week. Originally, it had peeled and
chopped shrimps and the chilli (sili ) leaves would be tossed in the pot just before serving.
I, however, traded shreds of chicken meat with the shrimp when I was asked by a company
to produce recipes using ingredients readily available in the province. It was part of an
advocacy for farming in Tarlac. Since they grow lots of chilli leaves, I decided to share this
family recipe with them. As the province is landlocked, I introduced chicken into the recipe.
These days, when I cook it for my daughter, Sabrina, she usually ends up dumping rice in her
bowl, drowning it in the soup and enjoying it as a hearty and filling meal.
Serves 4 Heat oil in a saucepot over medium heat. Add onion and
3 tsp cooking oil
sauté until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook until
fragrant.
1
/2 cup minced onion
3 cloves garlic, peeled and Add shredded chicken, followed by corn kernels. Season
minced with fish sauce and pepper.
200 g chicken breast and thigh Add chicken stock and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally,
fillet, boiled and shredded for about 30 minutes or until soup has thickened and corn
3 ears of corn, kernels removed is tender.
from the cob Add chilli leaves. Allow to simmer for another 2 minutes.
1 Tbsp fish sauce Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
1
/4 tsp pepper
5 cups chicken stock Tasty tip If you prefer shrimp, simply replace the chicken with
1 cup chilli (sili) leaves shrimp, keeping the same measurement. Remove the shells
salt and pepper, to taste and chop to small pieces.

Dorothy Gokioco’s
Guama’s Fried Rice
Shared by Decker Gokioco
When school ended, my family would visit guama in Zamboanga. Sadly, she was already
bed-ridden then and didn’t have the capacity to personally prepare food for us anymore.
I can imagine how good a cook she was though, as she taught my mom Dorothy how to
make this dish. It has struck a chord in me ever since she first served it to us for dinner. My
mom makes many types of fried rice, but this one stands out the most. She would render the
fat from Chinese chorizo, making it crispy and an appetizing smell would fill the room. It’s one
of my comfort foods. I’ve also shared the recipe with my students in the cooking school
I teach in.
Serves 2 to 4 Heat a little oil in a wok and stir-fry Chinese chorizo until
cooking oil, as needed
it starts getting crispy. Add onion and leeks and sauté lightly.
2 pieces Chinese chorizo, Add garlic and carrots and sauté lightly.
diced small
Adjust heat to high. Add beaten eggs and scramble. Add
1 Tbsp diced onion rice and mix well.
2 Tbsp chopped leeks
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.
2 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp diced carrots
Rice is so ingrained into the Filipino lifestyle that we have found
3 large eggs, beaten more ways to use it apart from just eating it steamed. Immature
4 cups cooked day-old rice rice is pounded into flakes, toasted and eaten as pinipig.
salt and pepper, to season It is ground finely and converted as a dough used to make
galapong, a base for native delicacies like bibingka. Powderised
rice is turned into leaf-shaped wafers called kiping, which adorns
houses in Quezon in time for the Pahiyas festival. Even the water
used to rinse rice with is used for soups.

Marisa Galvez’s
Paella
Shared by Muffin Galvez
Back in the 1940s, my Lolo Ben del Rosario became fast friends with Marcos de Guisasola,
a Spanish national who was fond of playing jai alai and owned a restaurant along Roxas
Boulevard. In the 1960s, Marcos became ill and had to return to his home country. He
passed on his food venture to my lolo, who had become one of his loyal patrons. That’s
how our family started Casa Marcos Restaurant. My Lolo Ben and Lola Nena continued the
operations, then passed it on to my mom Marisa and her two brothers, Lito and Chito. Now,
it is us third generation kids who are mostly handling and managing the business.
We have adapted some of the recipes from the restaurant into our home. There are four
kinds of paella available in Casa Marcos, but my mom only serves the Valenciana at home.
I remember it being served on special occasions, most memorable of which is Easter
Sundays. After the egg hunt, we would sit under a huge tamarind tree in the patio of our
New Manila compound and eat with our hands. Big family lunches like this are a significant
part of our years growing up and always bring back fond memories of Lolo Ben, who
passed in 1996.
Serves 6 to 8 Heat olive oil in a round flat pan over medium heat and fry
2 tsp olive oil
chicken and pork.
250 g chicken fillets, cubed Add minced garlic and onion. Fry until soft and translucent.
250 g pork belly, cubed Add Calrose rice and stir, making sure rice is evenly coated
4 cloves garlic, peeled and with oil.
minced
Add broth to pan. Move rice around, making sure it is
1 medium yellow onion, peeled equally distributed in pan.
and chopped
11/2 cup Calrose rice, washed Add tomato sauce, salt and ground black pepper. Mix well.
4 cups beef or chicken broth Place boiled seafood, Spanish chorizo and green peas on top
1 cup tomato sauce of rice. Cover with foil and cook for 25–30 minutes or until
rice is al dente. Take off heat.
1 tsp salt
1
/2 tsp freshly ground black Place hard-boiled egg and lemon wedges on cooked
pepper paella. Serve.
250 g seafood (clams, crab,
shrimps), boiled
2 Spanish chorizo, sliced
1
/4 cup frozen green peas
1 hard-boiled egg, peeled and
cut into wedges
1 lemon, cut into wedges

VEGETABLES
Spanish Tomato Sauce 34

Salad of Yam Leaves 36
Lenten Eggs with Black Beans 38
Raw Papaya Kinilaw with Pork Loin 40
Potaje de Patatas 42

Rosa Rubin de Celiz-Zubiri’s
Spanish Tomato Sauce
Shared by Stephanize Zubiri
My lola was a formidable woman. She never remarried after my lolo passed away and she
dedicated her life to charity and living to the fullest by helping people, travelling, running
her business—children’s clothes with the traditional smocking and bordado—playing in the
stock market, and enjoying good food with family and friends. She was extremely sharp and
healthy. Sadly, she passed at the age of 97.
I fondly recall the times when, at 95, she would still have a beer with me for lunch or
enjoy a glass or two of cognac. She often talked to me about her husband—a charming man
with a strong personality (he hails from the Basque region of Spain, that’s why) who, like her,
loved to eat good food, drink and dance. My lola said that every afternoon, they would have
their happy hour time drinking whisky together with friends and that he only spoke Spanish,
Euskera and Ilonggo.
I never really got to know my lolo since he died when I was still too young, but it seems
like I have inherited his liking for the finer things in life—tomato sauce included. I never
purchase pre-made tomato sauce. When I make almondigas, tomato soup or pasta sauces
like Arrabiata, Puttanesca and Bolognese, I make sure to use this generations-old recipe.
Sometimes, I change it up and add different spices and herbs.
Makes about 1 cup Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and sauté
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
onions until soft and translucent.
2 white onions, peeled and Add garlic. Sauté. When fragrant, add crushed tomatoes and
sliced tomato paste. Stir.
2 cloves garlic, peeled and Pour white wine and let alcohol evaporate on high heat.
crushed
When everything is bubbling, turn heat on low and let sauce
400 g can crushed tomatoes
simmer until thickened. The sauce should be dark orange
1 Tbsp tomato paste red, consisting mostly of tomato pulp and onions when done.
1
/2 cup white wine
Season with salt and pepper.
salt and pepper, to taste
Tasty tip Pour the sauce in containers that can be tightly sealed.
Refrigerate and use for a week, or keep in the freezer and
consume within three months.
34 Vegetables

Gregoria Ballesteros-Ventura’s
Salad of Yam Leaves
Ensaladang Talbos ng Kamote
Shared by Cocoy Ventura
My mother hails from Pandacan, Manila, a place with its own illustrious culinary tradition.
She taught me the flavours of fiesta delicacies such as Pandacan stews (guiso), mechado,
menudo, callos and Crème caramel (flan de leche). My father, on the other hand, is from
a farming family in Isabela. We grew up there and my palate is heavily influenced by its
cuisine’s modesty and freshness. Even during special occasions, simple food preparation still
reigned supreme because we highlighted the sanctity of rice. Isabela is one of the top rice
granaries of the country.
I can’t recall the first time I had this dish, but I remember eating it frequently when I
was young. Back then, refrigeration was very foreign in the province. People kept gardens
for fresh vegetables and used fermented condiments for seasoning. Meat dishes were only
prepared when an animal was slaughtered and the cuts were shared among relatives and
neighbours. Grains, legumes, bagoong, salt, sugar and oil were pantry essentials. Thankfully,
by the time I became conscious of my surroundings, we already had electricity and a
working fridge.
Serves 2 Steam yam leaves until slightly wilted and plunge into an
1 bunch of tender yam leaves,
ice-cold bowl of water to stop cooking. Drain and transfer
tough stems removed to a plate lined with a paper towel.
6 ripe tomatoes, diced Arrange on a platter along with tomatoes. Top with ginger.
1 small finger of ginger, In a small bowl, mix ingredients for dressing. Drizzle on
julienned thinly arranged salad. Serve.
DRESSING
juice from 5 calamansi limes Tasty tip Any vegetable can be used in this recipe: fern fronds,
water spinach (kangkong), pechay and other greens. Regular
3 Tbsp fish sauce
onions can be used to replace spring onions, but minimally.
rind from 2 limes To thin out dressing, just add vegetable or olive oil. Try adding
crispy pork belly (bagnet) or other crunchy elements like roasted
nuts or green fruits for extra texture.
36 Vegetables

Amanda Makabali’s
Lenten Eggs with Black Beans
Shared by Jessica Gallegos
My mom strictly practices Catholic traditions, including the rituals of Holy Week. During this
time, our family would not go out-of-town or on vacation but stay in Manila to attend church
services and to follow fasting and abstinence practices. We abstain from eating meat on
Fridays and, on Good Friday, we only eat one meal. It is always bread and this egg dish.
It’s the only time in the year that we would have it. And since it’s the only thing we eat that
day, it becomes so satisfying, so much so that the egg tastes just like a sinful roasted pig.
Serves 3 to 4 Heat a little oil in a pan over medium heat. Add garlic,
onion and tomatoes and sauté lightly.
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and Add beans, tomato sauce and water. Bring to a simmer.
minced
Add hard-boiled eggs. Transfer to a plate.
1 medium yellow onion, peeled
and sliced Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve.
3 ripe tomatoes, sliced
2 Tbsp black beans (tausi), Tasty tip For perfectly boiled eggs, first, place eggs in a
drained saucepan. Pour enough cold water to cover above 2.5 cm.
1
/2 cup tomato sauce Set the pan over medium-high heat. Soon as the water reaches
1
/4 cup water a brisk simmer, start timing. Adjust the heat to maintain it to
a simmer. To achieve hard-boiled eggs, cook for 8 minutes.
6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and
sliced lengthwise
chopped parsley, for garnish
38 Vegetables

Carmen Sincioco’s
Raw Papaya Kinilaw with Pork Loin
Shared by Jessie Sincioco
There are two people who are instrumental to my love for cooking—my
kkii mom, C Carmen
and my aunt, Estelita.
My mom used to run a carinderia (small eatery) at my uncle’s bus station. I grew
up loving her dishes like shrimp in sour soup (sinigang na hipon sa camachile) and chicken
in tamarind soup (sinampalukang manok). She is known in Angat, Bulacan for her rice cakes
(kakanin), particularly her layered glutinous rice cakes (sapin-sapin) and steamed coconut rice
cakes (suman sa latik). Then there’s Aunt Estelita who brought me to Manila and adopted
me when I was eight. It was she who taught me most of what I know about cooking and
gourmet food. My aunt fine-tuned my palate with lavish meals she would cook daily.
I served this dish to former US Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas Jr. at
100 Revolving Restaurant for his despedida lunch. I prepared a total of 12 Filipino dishes
for him, including suckling pig (cochinillo), adobo and grilled milkfish belly (inihaw na bangus
belly). At the end of his meal, I asked him which his favourite was and he said the raw papaya
kinilaw stood out. I promised that I would name the dish after him when I come up with my
own cookbook.
Serves 4 Place grated papaya in a bowl. Add rock salt. Mix and
2 small raw papayas, peeled and squeeze juices out. Set aside.
finely grated Heat vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté
2 Tbsp rock salt garlic, tomatoes and onion until soft and translucent.
2 Tbsp vegetable oil Add pork loin, bay leaves, peppercorns, salt and paprika.
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced Sauté for a minute.
2 medium tomatoes, chopped Add tomato sauce and continue stirring until pork is almost
1 small yellow onion, peeled and cooked.
chopped
Add pork liver, capsicum, vinegar and raw papaya. Sauté.
220 g pork loin, cubed
If mixture becomes too dry, you can add a bit of pork or
3 bay leaves chicken stock.
20 whole black peppercorns
Once meat and pork liver are cooked, transfer to a plate.
salt and paprika, to season Serve.
1
/2 cup tomato sauce
100 g pork liver, cubed
Tasty tip This dish is traditionally from Bulacan and is often
1 small red capsicum served during fiestas, along with morcon, embutido and the
(bell pepper), sliced
lechon, which this kinilaw is typically paired with.
1 small green capsicum
(bell pepper), sliced
5 Tbsp vinegar
40 Vegetables

Pura Villanueva Kalaw’s
Potaje de Patatas
Shared by Nana Ozaeta
This recipe is a testament to the maternal side of my family’s penchant for writing cookbooks.
My maternal great grandmother, Pura Villanueva Kalaw, wrote one of the earliest Filipino
cookbooks called Condimentos Indígenas in 1918. Her daughter, my grandmother, Purita
Kalaw Ledesma, published her own cookbook called Family Recipes in the 1980s. This recipe
is from that cookbook, originating from when my great-great grandmother, Emilia Garcia,
who was born and raised in Spain, met my great-great grandfather, Emilio Villanueva when
he was studying there. She moved to Iloilo as a teenager to marry him.
Serves 2 Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat, sauté garlic,
1 cup olive oil, divided
onions, potatoes and chorizo separately. Season garlic,
onions and potatoes with salt and pepper.
chopped In a heatproof casserole or Dutch oven, layer potatoes
4 medium yellow onions, peeled at bottom, followed by a layer of onions, then a layer of
and sliced chorizo. Pour chicken broth, enough to cover. Season.
3 large potatoes, peeled and Place over medium heat and simmer for around 20 minutes,
sliced 1-cm crosswise or until potatoes are soft.
1 chorizo de Bilbao, sliced Before serving, break eggs on top. Serve.
chicken broth, as needed
Tasty tip Serve with warm crusty bread to mop up all the juices
3 large eggs that remain at the bottom of the casserole.
42 Vegetables

Vinegars
Vinegar is a vital and integral ingredient in Filipino cuisine.
It is typically used for adobo, paksiw and kinilaw and a
bottle is frequently found on dining tables as a condiment.
Since the Philippines is rich in sugar cane and coconut,
a number of vinegar varieties is made available in the
country, each with its own character. There’s the sukang
mas, which is made from fermented coconut sap, the
sukang paombong from the fermented nipa palm sap and
the sukang maasim, from fermented sugar cane syrup.
There are also some which have been spiced with the
addition of ingredients like garlic and chilli.

RECIPE BY GEOGRAPHY
The Philippines’ geography and shape give each province a diverse landscape
to work their food with. Thus, Filipino specialties tend to have regional differences
in terms of execution. The fiesta staple roasted pig (lechon), for instance, has a
number of versions, from Cebu and Bacolod to Cagayan de Oro and General
Santos.
One other example of a Filipino delicacy that has seen its fair share of creativity
is the breakfast favourite, sausage (longganisa). There are over 15 kinds, including
vigan, lucban, calumpit, Imus, tuguegarao, alaminos and cauayan. Ingredients
indigenous to their region of origin distinctly season these chorizo-inspired
sausages. They vary in colour, shape, size and flavour. And it’s advisable not to
attempt figuring out which is the best as each has its own special character.
Pancit are noodles that were brought into the country by the Chinese and have
since been blended into the local gastronomy. It is essential in many celebrations
and, like longganisa, provinces have freely come up with their own versions. Pancit
canton and bihon are among the more popular ones, but other favourites are the
soupy pancit molo, pancit kinalas and pancit mami. There’s added flair in the buko
pancit and pancit kilawin, which replace noodles with shredded coconut and raw
papaya, respectively.
Therein lies the beauty of Filipino cuisine. Apart from the marriage of home-
grown and borrowed flavours, it flaunts the variety and diversity of the country’s
natural landscape.

POULTRY
Almond Chicken 48
Steamed Chicken in Bamboo Steamer 50
Chicken in Tamarind Soup 52
Chicken and Creamed Corn with Peas 54
Chicken Afritada 56
Stewed Chicken in White Vinegar 58
Chicken in Chinese Wine and Black Sesame Oil 60
Lola’s Chicken Curry 62
Stuffed Chicken 64
Turbo Chicken 66

Adelaida De Guzman Vda. de Lansangan’s
Almond Chicken
Shared by Jam Melchor
My great grandmother, Adelaida, graduated with a degree in Pharmacy from the University
of Sto. Tomas. She was one of the first to put up her own pharmacy in the city of Angeles,
Pampanga, and though she was widowed at a young age, she was able to single-handedly
raise four daughters—my grandmother being the eldest. Imang Daling, as we fondly called
her, collected and cut out recipes from magazines and cartons. Of the dishes she cooked,
I remember the bringhe, duck adobo-style (inadobong bibe), Ema, which is Kapampangan
for crabs and the devil’s pickle, which is akin to pickled vegetables (atchara). Unfortunately,
I was not able to try her version of the almond chicken. I found this recipe from her notes
under the category “fowls.”
Serves 4 In a small bowl, combine salt, soy sauce, cornstarch and

3
/4 tsp salt
sugar. Stir.
3 Tbsp light soy sauce Dredge chicken with mixture. Cover and leave to marinate
2 Tbsp cornstarch in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
1 tsp sugar Heat a little oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
500 g skinless chicken fillet, Add vegetables and sauté lightly. Add sherry or rice wine.
cut into cubes Cook for another minute. Set aside.
cooking oil, as needed Heat peanut oil in another pan over medium heat and sauté
1 cup celery, diced chicken until tender. Add stock and heat thoroughly. Toss in
1 cup diced yellow onion vegetables. Transfer to a plate and top with nuts. Serve.
1 cup bamboo shoots
1 cup water chestnuts, chopped Tasty tip To remove the bitter flavour of shelled walnuts, place
2 Tbsp sherry or rice wine in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook
for 3 minutes. Drain immediately and plunge into cold water.
3 Tbsp peanut oil
Drain and dry. Use as needed.
1
/4 cup chicken stock
1 cup almonds, walnuts or
cashew nuts, blanched
48 Poultry

Luz Besa-Ilagan’s
Steamed Chicken in Bamboo Steamer
Shared by Amy Besa
My aunt, Luz, was a beauty queen, Miss Tarlac 1927, in her youth. One time, when we
visited her family in Tarlac, I found her in the kitchen cooking this dish. For some reason, the
steamed chicken got stuck in my head and I’ve been replicating it in the United States where
I have been based since.
It is very simple to prepare and you don’t need a bamboo steamer to do it. Any steamer
would suffice. I love this dish because the chicken comes out moist and tender and the sauce
that collects at the bottom tastes great and makes for a good condiment.
Serves 6 to 10 Line a heatproof plate with half the cabbage leaves, half the
1 large head cabbage, leaves
chicken pieces, half the potatoes, half the onions and half
separated the Chinese chorizo. Season with salt and pepper.
1 kg chicken, chopped into Layer on remaining chicken, potatoes, onions and chorizo.
serving-size pieces Season with salt and pepper. Pour mirin over ingredients.
4 medium potatoes, peeled Cover with remaining cabbage leaves. Transfer to a steamer.
and cubed Cover tightly and put over high heat. When water starts
3 large yellow onions, peeled to boil, lower heat and steam for about 40 minutes.
and sliced into rings
Arrange on individual serving plates.
4 Chinese chorizo, sliced
diagonally Transfer liquid collected on steaming plate to a bowl
salt and pepper, to season and serve as a condiment.
1 cup mirin
Tasty tip Combine soy sauce, vinegar, rice wine, chopped
spring onions, a little bit of ginger, garlic and chillies for an
alternative condiment.
50 Poultry

Buenaventura dela Fuente’s
Chicken in Tamarind Soup
Sinampalukang Manok
Shared by Dedet dela Fuente
If my mom got her fill of seafood growing up in Parañaque, my dad enjoyed meats most
of his life. He was from Bulacan where cattle, buffalo and goat farms abound. My parents
couldn’t have been more perfect as a couple. They introduced each other to new dishes
and together enjoyed a bountiful dining experience. As a kid, I was exposed to a wide
variety of food. Needless to say, we all ate well.
My mom would serve this dish during tamarind season. It was either this or sour soup
(sinigang), which she also prepared with tamarind. It’s very sour and soupy, and Mom would
throw tamarind flowers into the mix to make it more visually appetising. She never took
shortcuts. Extracting the sour flavour of tamarind takes extra steps, but the natural taste
is incomparable. That’s something I learned from her as I cook for my daughters as well
as my customers: never rely on instant mixes and to cook only with the freshest produce.
Serves 6 to 8 In a small pot, boil unripe tamarind fruit in 11/2 cups of water
500 g fresh unripe tamarind fruit
until tender.
3 cups water, divided Scoop out tamarind and place them on a strainer on top
cooking oil, as needed of the pot. Squeeze out juice from tamarind seeds. Discard
tamarind seeds and any fibre. Set broth aside.
2 medium white onions, peeled
and sliced Heat a little oil in a deep pan over medium heat. Add onions,
1 clove garlic, peeled and garlic and ginger and sauté lightly. Add tomatoes and sauté
minced lightly.
2.5-cm ginger, peeled and Add remaining water and chicken. Lower heat, cover and
julienned simmer for 15 minutes until chicken is almost cooked.
3 ripe tomatoes, quartered
Add tamarind broth, chillies, water spinach, eggplant and
1 whole chicken, cut to serving tamarind leaves. Simmer until chicken is cooked.
pieces
1
/4 cup fish sauce + more to taste
Season to taste with fish sauce. Serve.
2 green finger chillies
1 bunch water spinach
(kangkong) leaves
1 eggplant, chopped
1 bunch tamarind leaves
52 Poultry

Susan de Belen’s
Chicken and Creamed Corn with Peas
Shared by Janice de Belen
My family loves to cook but since we do so by taste and feel, we rarely jot down our recipes.
Because of this, my Lolo Tony Yap comes out with a dish that’s always slightly different from
the last, but my Mommy Susan, who doesn’t measure anything at all, manages to prepare
food that consistently tastes the same. I sometimes attempt to document the dishes
I cook, but since I adjust the flavour to taste, I end up with recipes that aren’t as complete
or accurate as I want them to be.
This dish was created when our family needed a break from the usual sinigang, fried
fish, nilaga and shrimps. Our family likes anything with cream and milk, so Mommy Susan’s
chicken and creamed corn with peas hits the spot. It’s so good that it has become a staple
not just in my parents’ home, but in my own home as well.
Serves 4 Rub chicken with garlic salt and black pepper. Let sit for
4 chicken quarters
20 minutes.
11/2 tsp garlic salt Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat
1 tsp freshly cracked black and fry chicken until golden brown. Transfer to a plate lined
pepper with paper towels. Set aside.
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided Heat remaining olive oil in another pan over medium heat
2 tsp butter and place butter to melt. Add onion and sauté until soft
1 small white onion, peeled and
and translucent.
minced Add green peas. Season with salt and pepper.
1
/2 cup frozen green peas,
Add corn kernels, cream-style corn, chicken stock and
thawed and drained
evaporated milk. Stir.
Add chicken pieces and simmer for 15 minutes or until
1
/2 cup corn kernels, drained
sauce has reduced.
half of 432 g can cream-style
corn Add nutmeg. Adjust taste with salt and pepper. Serve.
1 cup chicken stock
1
/2 cup evaporated milk Tasty tip If sauce gets too creamy, add a little more stock
pinch of ground nutmeg and simmer for another 2 minutes.
54 Poultry

Gaston and Elo Gonzalez’s
Chicken Afritada
Shared by Marnie Ong
This is a dish of Spanish origin that my grandparents, and eventually my parents, cooked.
It undergoes a process called sangkutcha where the chicken is marinated then simmered
until the juices are released. The juices are then used to cook the dish further. The mirepoix
is slow-cooked until the vegetables are caramelized with an aroma of their natural flavour.
Today, a dip of the spoon in this casserole transports me back to a time when I was
a young girl, assisting my parents in the kitchen as we prepared family meals together
with my younger siblings. This is exactly what makes something as ordinary as chicken
afritada so special: it was enjoyed and shared over laughter and conversations, created with
consideration of each member’s preference, and developed over time with personal flair—
all while keeping tradition intact. This is what I hope for my own children: that memories
be preserved and celebrated through treasured family recipes.
Serves 6 to 8 In a large bowl, combine chicken, vinegar, garlic, salt and

1 small whole chicken, cut into
1 tsp ground black pepper. Mix. Cover and refrigerate for
serving pieces 1 hour.
1
/4 cup white vinegar Transfer chicken and marinade to a pot over low heat. Let
3 Tbsp finely chopped garlic, simmer until cooked, making sure chicken remains firm.
divided Transfer cooked chicken to a plate. Strain broth and set aside.
salt and pepper, to season Heat a little olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add cooked
olive oil, as needed chicken and fry evenly on all sides. Transfer to a plate lined
1 medium white onion, peeled with paper towels. Set aside.
and chopped Heat a little olive oil in a deep, large pan over medium heat.
500 g ripe tomatoes, blanched, Sauté remaining garlic and onion until soft and translucent.
seeded and finely chopped Add tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Lower heat and
water, as needed cook until soft and mushy and oil surfaces.
3 chorizo Pamplona, sliced Return chicken and reserved broth to pan. If needed, add
diagonally water to half-cover chicken. Bring to a boil over medium heat,
2 medium potatoes, peeled then lower heat and simmer.
and cut into wedges
Heat a little olive oil in another pan and fry chorizo, potatoes
1 large red capsicum and capsicum separately. Add to pan with chicken.
(bell pepper), sliced into
thin strips Stir in tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for
1 Tbsp tomato paste 7–10 minutes until fragrant. Serve.
Tasty tip Serve with condiments of calamansi juice, fish sauce

and red pepper flakes.
56 Poultry

Nanay Emilia Avila’s
Stewed Chicken in White Vinegar
Chicken Adobo
Shared by Kalel Chan
There was a time in my life when my idea of adobo consisted of meat boiled in vinegar, then
fried and tossed in a sauce made of liver spread. That was how Nanay Emilia, my maternal
grandmother, used to prepare it and that was how I understood adobo to be. When she
went to the US, my mom continued to cook the dish the same way. It was only in high school
when I realized there were so many interpretations—with ours looking least like the original.
This was the same case with Nanay’s other dishes: her stew (pochero) had no tomato sauce
and her meat/seafood in tomato sauce (sarsiado) had chorizo de Bilbao. Apparently, she
had no qualms about making traditional Filipino dishes her own. She’s my inspiration when I
create dishes for my restaurants.
Serves 2 In a deep saucepan over low heat, combine vinegar, soy

11/2 cups white vinegar
sauce, bay leaves, peppercorns and 5 garlic cloves. Add
chicken and simmer for 7 minutes.
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
3 bay leaves Gradually add water and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Remove chicken and reserve sauce in saucepan. Cut chicken
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
into smaller pieces if desired.
11 cloves garlic cloves, pounded
with skin on, divided Heat some oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry remaining
2 chicken leg quarters
garlic cloves until fragrant and set aside.
3 cups water Reheat oil and fry chicken for 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate
cooking oil, as needed lined with paper towels to drain excess oil. Set aside.
2 Tbsp liver spread Place saucepan with reserved sauce over low heat. Add liver
sugar, as needed spread and simmer until sauce is slightly thick. Add sugar to
balance the flavour. Add chicken and simmer for 5 minutes.
Transfer to a serving plate. Garnish with fried garlic cloves
and serve.
The name may be Spanish, but adobo, the unofficial national

dish of the Philippines, is an indigenous cooking method.
To date, there have been hundreds of interpretations, all varying
in ingredients and flavours—from the choice of meats or even
the lack of it (adobong kangkong or water spinach) to the type
of vinegar used to braise them in.
In Batangas, the adobo is spiced and tinted with ginger. The
Ilonggos and Caviteños mash liver in theirs, while in Zamboanga,
it is cooked in coconut milk. Seafood like squid has been turned
into adobo. Even crickets (kamaru) have been used, particularly
in Pampanga where they are prevalent.
58 Poultry

Susanna Ng Ting’s
Chicken in Chinese Wine and Black Sesame Oill
Chinese-style Black Chicken Adobo
Shared by Jin Perez
In Chinese tradition, it is important that women go through post-partum care after they
give birth. During this recovery period, which lasts for a month, new mothers are given food
that is high in nutrition to restore the qi or life force lost during the delivery of the baby.
This means a strict diet of Chinese medicinal herbs, eggs, sesame oil, ginger and meats
that are considered “warm” to the body like rabbit, lamb and black chicken. This adobo
dish is perfect because it uses three of the most important ingredients for replenishment:
black sesame oil, ginger and black chicken. It not only recharges the qi but also satisfies the
appetite as it is very delicious. That’s why we always ask our maternal grandmother Guama
Susanna to make it for us even if nobody in the family has given birth. And whenever she
does, I go on a rice binge. Yes, it is that tasty.
Serves 4 to 6 In a pan, heat black sesame oil until hot.

1
/3 cup black sesame oil Sauté ginger until brown and fragrant.
5-cm ginger, peeled and sliced Sear chicken in pan.
thinly
4 black chickens, washed and Pour in soy sauce and Chinese wine. Bring to boil, then lower
cut into quarters heat.
1
/3 cup light soy sauce Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally until sauce is reduced
1
/2 cup Chinese medicinal wine to a thick consistency. Serve.
When Chinese traders sailed to Philippine shores in the

11th century, many of them settled down in the country,
thus starting the Filipino-Chinese community. Their culture
and cuisine have influenced our own—from traditions and
superstitions to dishes like noodles (pancit), egg roll (lumpia)
and dim sum. Ingredients like soy sauce, tofu, bok choy or
Chinese pechay also made their way into our kitchens.
60 Poultry

Felisa Hugo Mabilangan’s
Lola’s Chicken Curry
Shared by Nana Ozaeta
My maternal grandmother, Felisa Hugo Mabilangan, learned this recipe from her Indian cook
when she and my grandfather were living in New Delhi in the 1950s. My lolo was a diplomat
and was assigned to India as its first Philippine Ambassador. When they returned home,
my lola had to modify the original recipe, substituting her Indian cook’s special spice blend
with a supermarket brand of curry powder. To achieve the dark, smoky flavour of the original,
she used the contents of the whole bottle for just one recipe! When my parents married,
my lola taught this recipe to my mom who then taught it to her own mom (my other lola).
My maternal lola added the garnishes, inspired by the British-style curry, which traditionally
comes with these condiments. My mom added the cucumber-yogurt salad, which gives
a nice cooling effect to counter the spices.
Serves 6 to 8 Heat oil in a deep pan over medium heat and sauté onion,
1
/2 cup cooking oil
tomato, ginger and apple until soft.
1 medium yellow onion, peeled Add curry powder and cook for about 10 minutes, until
and chopped oil separates. Add chicken pieces, coating them with curry
1 medium ripe tomato, chopped mixture. Add a little water to braise. Cover and simmer for
45–60 minutes or until chicken is cooked.
1
/4 cup peeled and chopped
ginger When almost done, add coconut milk to thicken sauce.
1 red apple, cored and sliced Season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, add chillies
1
/2 cup good quality curry and sprinkle with chopped coriander. Serve.
powder (or as needed to make
the sauce turn dark brown)
Tasty tip Serve with additional garnishes such as chopped
1.2 kg whole chicken, cut into
tomatoes, bacon, peanuts, hard-boiled eggs, a chutney sauce
pieces
or grated cucumber and yogurt salad and yellow rice, or Indian
water, as needed
breads like naan or chapati.
1 cup coconut milk
2 red bird’s eye chillies, chopped
chopped coriander, to garnish
62 Poultry

Eduarda Victorino’s
Stuffed Chicken
Rellenong Manok
Shared by Chinky Dionisio
Whenever my Lola Iding started to prepare this, I knew Christmas was around the corner
as she only cooked it for family reunions and special occasions. There are many versions of
it, but her method of cooking and the memories that come with it made it different. My lola
was 83 when she died on Christmas day. She battled a severe illness for months. Whenever I
was by her bedside, she always showed me that she was fighting. Later, I found out from my
cousins that when I wasn’t there with her, she felt tired. She wanted me there, holding her
hand, especially when she had to breathe without the machine. I was very close to her and
although it has been years since her passing, her absence still makes me emotional.
Serves 6 to 10 In a small bowl, combine calamansi juice, soy sauce and garlic.
Rub all over chicken, cover and let stand in refrigerator for
1 Tbsp calamansi juice
30 minutes.
1
/4 cup light soy sauce
In another bowl, mix all ingredients for filling until well-
minced combined. Place 2 hard-boiled eggs inside deboned chicken,
then stuff with a third of filling.
1.5 kg whole chicken, deboned
3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled Add remaining hard-boiled egg and stuffing. Make sure
stuffed chicken is tight. Sew opening, tie with kitchen twine,
4 litres water
then wrap completely with foil.
3 Tbsp butter, softened
gravy or tomato sauce, to serve
Place wrapped chicken in a stockpot, then add water. Let boil
for 1–11/2 hours. Transfer chicken to a plate and let cool for
FILLING 10 minutes.
500 g minced pork Preheat oven to 180ºC (350ºF).
140 g canned Vienna sausages, Unwrap chicken and rub skin with softened butter.
drained and chopped
3 chorizo de Bilbao, chopped In a hot pan, cook one side of chicken for 4 minutes, then flip
to the other side and cook for another 4 minutes. Transfer
200 g sweet ham, cubed
chicken to a roasting pan and roast in the oven for 25 minutes.
1
/2 cup finely chopped carrot
Serve stuffed chicken with gravy or tomato sauce.
1 small red capsicum
(bell pepper), diced
1 yellow onion, peeled and
minced
1
/2 cup breadcrumbs
1
/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1 tsp sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
64 Poultry

Lilibeth Nakpil’s
Turbo Chicken
Shared by Lander Vera-Perez
I’m not fond of sauces because I have always believed that it covers up the natural flavours
of the ingredients. This dish is one of the exceptions. The chicken is flavourful, tender and
moist on its own, but when eaten with the sauce, it becomes even better.
Aunt Lilibeth, my dad’s sister, is always cooking up a storm. This is our favourite among
her repertoire. I first had it 10 years ago, when my cousins and I had a slumber party at her
place and it was served for dinner. It came with a special sauce, which I was hesitant to try
at first. Once I did, I’ve never had this dish without it. I was surprised to find out how simple
and easy it was to prepare the sauce and couldn’t believe something so delicious required
little effort and only few ingredients. It has been years since we—21 first cousins—all got
together again. Some are too busy with work, while the others are based abroad. Whenever
I have this turbo chicken, I’m reminded of those good old times.
Serves 4 to 6 In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, garlic and calamansi

1
/2 cup light soy sauce
juice.
1
/4 cup garlic, peeled and minced Season chicken with salt and pepper inside and out. Then
juice of 10 calamansi limes brush soy sauce marinade all over. Place chicken in turbo
broiler at 180ºC (350ºF) and cook for 20–25 minutes. Set
aside. Collect juice at bottom.
1.2 kg whole chicken
In a saucepot, heat cream of mushroom soup and chicken
305 g can cream of mushroom
soup
juice. Stir.
1 Tbsp butter Add butter and stir until melted. Serve with chicken.
Filipinos have a lot more than just salt and pepper on their
dining tables. They like adjusting a dish’s flavours according to
their taste and a bevy of dipping sauces are needed to achieve
this. Often, vinegar, fish sauce and soy sauce are used as a base
and items like calamansi, chillies, garlic and onion are added for
another layer of flavour.
66 Poultry

02 Sea, Meats p068-127.indd 68 28/8/14 9:30 AM
SEAFOOD
Vinegar-cured Mackerel 70
Shrimp and Bamboo Shoots in Coconut Milk 72
Sweet and Sour Fish 74
Grouper Fish Soup 76
Bacalao ala Rosa 78
Ginger-poached Grouper Fish 80
Bicol Express 82
Milkfish in Egg Noodles 84
Salmon Belly in Sour Miso Soup 86
Baked Milkfish 88
Stuffed Crabs 90
Crabs in Coconut Sauce with Guava 92

Annie Juico Buhay’s
Vinegar-cured Mackerel
Kinilaw na Tanguigue
Shared by Allen Buhay
My mom’s family is from Minalin, Pampanga, a small town in the middle of nowhere.
Our house sat on the river bend (pampang) and most of our food came from local livestock
(chickens and water buffalo) or from the river. I remember eating river shrimps and rice
doused in water buffalo’s milk that had been sprinkled with sea salt for breakfast. We also ate
crab fat (taba ng talangka) sautéed in garlic, drizzled with calamansi juice and eaten over
white rice and lots of crème caramel (leche flan). I still crave these things to this day, so it’s
good that they are always present at our family gatherings.
During one of my trips to the Philippines two years ago (I was working in the US then),
my mom took me to Dumaguete where she and her entire family migrated. This recipe
was one of the things the Juico siblings learned upon their move to the principal seaport
of Negros Occidental. As Kapampangans who love to cook, getting to play with Visayan
ingredients was a match made in culinary heaven.
I cannot forget that one Saturday when my mom and I didn’t know where to eat.
We ended up dropping by the local market, picking up a few things such as tuna collar and
belly, pork belly and mackerel (tanguigue) and driving to my uncle’s house where we found
my cousin grilling in the backyard. My mom and her brother then proceeded to cook the rest
of lunch in the kitchen. I ate so much that day that I stopped caring at some point.
Serves 2 Mix calamansi juice, vinegar, fish sauce, grated ginger and
1
/2 cup fresh calamansi juice
half of chilli in a small bowl. Adjust acidity and add salt
as desired. Set aside.
1
/2 cup white vinegar
1 tsp fish sauce Slowly pour three quarters of mixture on mackerel. Add
more, if desired. Gently toss.
1 tsp grated ginger
1 red bird’s eye chilli, thinly Let stand for 2 minutes. Drain and transfer to a plate.
sliced and divided Drain onion and pat dry. Top onion on fish, along with bilimbi
salt, to season fruit, remaining chillies and fried pork rinds. Serve.
250 g mackerel (tanguigue),
cubed
Kinilaw refers to a type of food preparation that involves
half a small red onion, thinly cooking in vinegar or a souring agent, like lime or, in this case,
sliced and soaked in ice water calamansi. It’s similar to ceviche, where fresh fish is cured in
3 pieces bilimbi fruit (kamias), citrus and topped with chillies. While seafood like tuna is the
thinly sliced crosswise common protein for it, in the Philippines, specifically in Ilocos,
fried pork rind (chicharon), goat and water buffalo meat are also prepared the same way.
crumbled
70 Seafood

Crisostomo Reyes Sr.’s
Shrimp and Bamboo Shoots in Coconut Milkk
Guinataang Hipon at Labong
Shared by Rachel Reyes-Costas
My hometown in Estancia at the northern part of Panay Island is known as the Alaska
of the Philippines because of its rich supply of fresh seafood—shellfish, crabs, shrimps,
sea vegetables, you name it. This is where dried fish (uga), which is a Filipino specialty,
originated.
I remember how our wet market teemed with the smell of salt and sea from the day’s
catch. Seafood was so fresh, the fish would still be jumping in our basket by the time I got
home. Most of the heirloom recipes—from my grandmother and mother who mentored
me—that I love to cook have seafood in them. My mother learned this particular recipe
from my grandfather who descended from a family of cooks. Tambo is an Ilonggo term for
bamboo shoots. Whenever I’m home, I would always request my mother to cook this for me.
When I’m feeling homesick, this recipe instantly transports me back to my childhood.
Serves 2 Place bamboo shoots in a saucepot over medium heat with

1 cup bamboo shoot, washed
enough water to cover. Cover with lid. Bring to a boil, then
thrice and cut into strips remove lid and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
water, as needed Add shrimps and corn. Cover and simmer until shrimps turn
500 g shrimps orange and corn becomes tender. Add jute leaves and okra
and simmer for 2 minutes.
1 ear of corn, kernels removed
from the cob When everything is cooked and mixture achieves a thick
1
/2 cup jute leaves (saluyot), consistency, add coconut milk. Let boil for another
chopped 5 minutes.
4 okra, thinly sliced Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
1 cup coconut milk
salt and pepper, to taste Tasty tip You can substitute shrimps with 2 medium crabs,
top shell removed and sliced in half crosswise. Cook the same
way as shrimps.
72 Seafood

Rafael Jiz de Ortega Jardeleza’s
Sweet and Sour Fish
Fish Escabeche
Shared by Rafael Jardeleza II
My Lola Esca is one of the reasons I fell in love with food. She was my mentor and she always
advised me that the best ingredients would guarantee a delicious dish. I’ve kept this, along
with many other memories and words of practical wisdom, close to heart to this day, when
running my catering business and cooking for my family and friends or like lola, cooking up a
storm for our Sunday family gatherings, fiestas or Christmas.
The fish escabeche is a Western Visayas interpretation of the Chinese or Spanish fried
fish with sweet and sour sauce. The Ilonggo version is not too sweet and uses turmeric
(kalawag) instead of tomato paste for colour.
Serves 4 to 6 Season flour with salt and pepper. Pat dry fish fillets. Coat
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
in seasoned flour.
salt and pepper, to season Heat oil in a pan over high heat and deep-fry fish fillets until
500 g fish fillets crisp and golden brown. Transfer to plate lined with paper
towels to drain excess oil. Set aside.
2.5-cm ginger, peeled and thinly Heat a little oil in another pan over medium heat and sauté
sliced ginger, garlic, onion, capsicums, carrots and chilli. Sauté until
3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly
onion is soft and translucent.
sliced Add vinegar, brown sugar and fish sauce. Stir.
Add water and bring to simmer for about 5 minutes or until
and thinly sliced
vinegar aroma has toned down.
1 large green capsicum
(bell pepper), sliced to strips Add cornstarch slurry and turmeric powder mixture. Gently
1 large red capsicum (bell pepper),
stir until it becomes thick in consistency. Adjust with water
sliced to strips if too thick. Season to taste.
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced Pour sauce over fish. Serve.
1 red bird’s eye chilli, thinly sliced
6 Tbsp cane vinegar Tasty tip Serve the fish with sliced fresh pineapple, if desired.
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 cup water
1
/2 Tbsp cornstarch diluted in
1
/4 cup water
1
/2 Tbsp turmeric powder diluted
in 1/4 cup water
74 Seafood

Florida Young’s
Grouper Fish Soup
Lapu-Lapu Soup
Shared by Karen Young
I’ve always admired my mother-in-law’s culinary skills, so when she gave me her collection
of recipes, it felt like I was receiving Beethoven’s collection of piano arrangements. I’ve kept
them so dearly and with such high regard that they have barely been touched—until I was
asked to contribute a recipe for this book. I thought it would be a perfect way to honour her.
My mom-in-law has very high standards. She hand-wrote this particular recipe for fish
soup—from ingredients to procedure and stamped it with a check mark at the top,
a distinction given only to those recipes that passed her taste test! I remember my mom-
in-law sending her driver to bring this fish soup over to me when I had my son. She and my
dad-in-law are such thoughtful and generous people and this soup reminds me of those
admirable traits that I hope will pass on to my children.
Serves 6 to 8 Prepare pork marinade by combining all ingredients in a

125 g pork tenderloin, sliced into
bowl. Pour over pork and toss gently, making sure each strip
thin strips has been coated with marinade. Cover and set aside.
1
/2 cup peanut or vegetable oil Heat peanut or vegetable oil in a shallow pan over medium-
1 400 g grouper (lapu-lapu), high heat. Season fish fillet with salt, then pan-fry, skin side
cleaned and filleted skin-on, down. When skin is crisp and golden, transfer to a rack to
reserve fish head and bones allow excess oil to drip. Do the same with fish bones and
pinch of rock salt
head. Place bones and head in a cheesecloth or cooking
gauze, along with ginger and tie securely with cooking string.
5-cm ginger, peeled and pounded
6 cups water In a medium stockpot, add water and bag of fish head and
bones. Bring to a boil, then simmer.
1
/2 cup Chinese cabbage (pechay),
cut into 5-cm lengths, stalks After 15–20 minutes, add cabbage stalks. When stalks
separated from leaves become tender, add tomatoes. After about 5 minutes,
1 cup ripe tomatoes, cut into add cabbage leaves and pan-fried fish (be gentle while
segments handling fish). Simmer for another 5 minutes.
salt and pepper, to taste Remove gauze containing fish bones. Add salt and pepper
to taste. Drain pork of marinade. With broth still simmering,
PORK MARINADE
add pork tenderloin strips and cook until tender.
2 Tbsp water
Serve.
1
/2 Tbsp sugar
Tasty tip The tenderloin is unexpected but helps to fortify the
1 Tbsp cornstarch
body of the soup. You can also add other kinds of seafood or
shellfish.
76 Seafood

Rosa Rubin de Celiz-Zubiri’s
Bacalao ala Rosa
Shared by Stephanie Zubiri
This dish is deeply rooted in Spanish cuisine and in my family’s history. My abuelita is from
Kabangkalan and Bacolod, while my abuelito, was from San Sebastian, Spain. He fled the
country along with some siblings and cousins during the Spanish Civil War as he was part
of the Basque separatist movement. Out of 12 siblings, half the family was ultra-Catholic
and pro-Franco and the other half were separatistas. They fled to Marseille as stowaways and
upon arrival, bought a lotto ticket and won! They split their earnings and went their separate
ways. My abuelito learned that there was a strong Basque community in Kabangkalan and
that’s where he met my grandmother and fell in love. My abuelita was also from a prominent
Spanish-Filipino family of sugar farmers, the Rubin de Celiz clan. They kept close ties with
the Basque community and my dad told me stories of his father meeting with the other
Basques every Sunday, talking Euskera and sending money to help combat Franco.
The bacalao, according to my abuelita, should not be very saucy or wet. The sauce
should just hug all the other ingredients. In our home, we eat it by slightly mashing the fish,
potatoes, piquillo peppers and sauce together with a fork and placing it on melba toast.
Serves 4 Soak cod for 24 hours, changing water at least 2-3 times to
1 kg dried boneless salted cod
thoroughly remove salt.
all-purpose flour, as needed Preheat oven to 180ºC (350ºF).
olive oil, for frying Slice fish into pieces. Pat dry and coat lightly with flour.
1 large yellow onion, peeled
Heat a little olive oil in a pan over medium heat and fry fish.
and chopped
Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.
3 cloves garlic, peeled and Set aside. Sauté onion, garlic and bay leaf in same pan with
minced more olive oil. Add potatoes and cook until almost tender.
1 bay leaf Season with pepper and very lightly with salt. Add Spanish
2 large potatoes, peeled and tomato sauce. Mix gently.
sliced into 0.5-cm thick rounds
In a large baking dish, layer some potatoes at the bottom,
salt and pepper, to season followed by sauce, fish and piquillo peppers. Continue to
3 cups Spanish tomato sauce layer until you reach the top.
1 cup roasted red piquillo Bake for 20–30 minutes or until an orange-tinted olive oil
peppers, drained and sliced
starts bubbling to the surface. Serve.
Tasty tip Top it with a gremolata made of freshly chopped

parsley, fresh oregano or thyme and some lemon zest to give
it some brightness. Or add cayenne pepper or hot smoked
paprika for a bit of spice.
78 Seafood

Severina Villa Castillo’s
Ginger-poached Grouper Fish
Shared by Arnold Bernardo
My grandma, Severina, taught this recipe to my mom who started cooking it when she
realized that our family needed healthier meals. She used to do it the Cantonese way—
steamed—even if it took a long time to prepare. Five years later, a friend from Hong Kong
taught her a much simpler version. He told my mom to lightly poach the fish in ginger broth.
This way, there’s a lot less to do and the fishy smell is also reduced. Sometimes, she even
fillets the fish instead of serving it whole. Either way, the taste is so clean that it’s easy for
anyone to finish the dish. Filipinos are used to explosive flavours and this is a nice departure
from that. My mom is retired now, so she just watches me cook. It’s our way of bonding.
She’s my biggest critic and she keeps me on my toes whenever I make a mistake.
Serves 2 In a deep pan, boil water with 1 stalk leek, 2 Tbsp ginger,
1 litre water
salt and sugar. Lower heat to a simmer.
2 stalks leek, chopped and Add fish to pan and poach for 15 minutes.
divided
Heat peanut oil in another pan over medium-heat and sauté
5 Tbsp ginger, peeled, chopped remaining leek and ginger for 2 minutes.
and divided
Add mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes. Season with salt
1
/2 Tbsp salt
and pepper.
pinch of sugar
1.5 kg grouper fish (lapu-lapu), Gently scoop out fish and place on a large serving plate.
gutted and cleaned Pour sesame oil and Japanese light soy sauce over cooked
1
/3 cup peanut oil fish fillet.
1
/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, Pour sautéed mushroom and leek over fish fillet. Serve.
sliced
Tasty tip It’s a recipe that’s flexible enough to accommodate
1 Tbsp sesame oil
other types of fish. Just avoid using oily fish or white fish with
2 Tbsp light soy sauce tiny bones.
80 Seafood

Elena Go Dy-Prieto’s
Bicol Express
Shared by Sasha Lim-Uy
My grandmother doesn’t usually cook—or so I thought. Summers in Naga City would be

spent at her house where we would splash around in her pool for hours every afternoon.
She would feed us bread stuffed with red pudding, maligaya (known in Manila as pan de
regla) and an egg noodle dish served with chicken, vegetables and shrimps (pancit canton),
all while telling us stories about her childhood. My mom said that when she and her siblings
were growing up, my fashionable my grandmother would rarely be seen in the kitchen.
When it came to her grandchildren, she suddenly developed culinary skills she didn’t know
she had.
I had no idea that she knew how to make bicol express because she grew up in a
Chinese family in Gumaca, Quezon, where she met my grandfather, who originated from
China. They moved to Bicol to avoid World War II. Apparently, what we were having all along
was not made by the hired cook but by my grandmother—I never knew until I was in high
school! This dish has traditionally more baby shrimps (balaw) than pork (hence it being listed
under the seafood category) and I like it that way: the brine perfectly complementing the
unabashed spice. I don’t eat it any other way. One time, my grandmother cooked enough
to fill a bucket. Half of it was frozen and hand-delivered to Hong Kong where my sister
Stephanie was based. That is bicol express.
Serves 4 Heat a little oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté garlic,
ginger and onion until soft and translucent.
4 cloves garlic, peeled and Add pork belly and sauté until cooked.
minced
Add salted baby shrimps and sauté for another 3 minutes.
2.5-cm ginger, peeled and sliced
thinly Pour in coconut milk and cream, along with bird’s eye chillies.
Mix. Simmer until almost dry.
1 small yellow onion, peeled and
chopped Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve.
100 g pork belly, sliced 2-cm
cubes, skin on
Tasty tip On the side streets of Naga, street hawkers would
1 cup salted baby shrimps serve the purple-coloured balaw with Indian mangoes. It takes
(balaw), cleaned and washed the place of bagoong or shrimp paste.
1
/2 cup coconut milk
3 cups coconut cream
15 red bird’s eye chillies,
chopped
82 Seafood

Emilia Francisco Dominguez’s
Milkfish in Egg Noodles
Bangus sa Miki
Shared by Idge Mendiola
Most of the dishes my Lola Emilia knows, she learned from her sister, Belen Mariano. My
maternal grandmother loves to cook and developed her own recipes over time. I was
introduced to her milkfish in egg noodles during my elementary days. It is considered a meal
in itself, but I saw it more as a viand. My appreciation for the dish only happened gradually.
The first time I had it, I scooped out the noodles and mixed it with rice. I was so amused
with the colour of the noodles that I didn’t bother eating the rest of the ingredients. I was
10 when I started eating the fish as I didn’t want to deal with bones. As a kid, I only dared
to eat a few vegetables and patola made it to the list only when I became a teenager. This
dish is just as comforting as the memories that come with it. Up to now, I never eat it on its
own—always with rice.
Serves 4 In a bowl, place milkfish and light soy sauce. Toss. Set aside
600 g milkfish (bangus), cleaned,
to marinate for 30 minutes.
scaled and sliced into 4 to 5 In another bowl, place noodles, then add enough hot water
rounds to cover. Let stand for about 10 minutes, until noodles are
1
/2 cup light soy sauce soft. Drain and set aside.
500 g yellow miki noodles Heat a little oil in a saucepot over medium heat and sauté
hot water, as needed garlic and onion until soft and translucent. Add milkfish and
11/2 Tbsp cooking oil light soy sauce to pot. Cook for 3–4 minutes, turning fish
4 cloves garlic, minced halfway through. Add water. Let simmer for 5 minutes and
taste for seasoning. If too salty, add more water. Add tofu.
Cover and continue simmering for 2 minutes. Add sponge
and sliced into half-moons
gourd and Chinese parsley. Cook for about 2 minutes, until
13/4 cups water + extra to taste sponge gourd is soft. Remove from heat.
1 block firm tofu, sliced into
rectangles Add miki noodles. Mix. Serve.
400 g sponge gourd (patola),
peeled and sliced into half- From four kinds of noodles—miki, bihon (thin rice noodles),
moons canton, sotanghon (mung bean noodles)—Filipinos have come
1
/2 cup chopped Chinese parsley up with over 30 dishes, differing in ingredients, procedures and
stems and leaves (kinchay) place of origin. There’s pancit cabagan from Isabela, Quezon,
topped with pork liver and crispy pork belly; pancit pula from
Batangas, which is coloured with annatto; and pancit batil
patong from Tuguegarao, which is crowned with a fried egg.
There’s even pancit that don’t have noodles. Fresh coconut
strips are used and it is aptly called pancit buko. Pancit estacion,
on the other hand, has mung bean sprouts in place of noodles.
84 Seafood

Eduarda Victorino’s
Salmon Belly in Sour Miso Soup
Sinigang na Salmon Belly sa Miso
Shared by Chinky Dionisio
Our family’s Nipa Hut restaurant has been around for 33 years. Since we didn’t want wastage,
we often got the fish scraps from the kitchen and my Lola Iding prepared sinigang (sour
soup) with the salmon head or belly for us to eat at home. This dish became a staple when
the family would go out-of-town. It was typically served with green mango salad (ensaladang
mangga), barbecue and rice.
Today, I continue the tradition by preparing it for my own family. My lola passed away in
2010 and nobody has served it since then. Three years later, I decided to cook sinigang na
salmon belly sa miso on our trips in her honour and to continue the tradition of cooking her
staples. How I miss her.
Serves 4 to 6 In a small pot, boil unripe tamarind fruit in 11/2 cups of water
250 g fresh unripe tamarind
until tender. Scoop out tamarind and strain on top of pot.
fruit, peeled Squeeze out as much juice from tamarind seeds. Discard
after. Set broth aside.
4 cups water, divided
500 g salmon belly Fry salmon belly until cooked. Set aside.
1 large yellow onion, peeled In a stockpot with little oil over medium heat, sauté onion,
and minced garlic and tomatoes. When onion becomes translucent and
2 heads garlic, peeled and tomatoes soft, add miso. Mix.
minced Add fish sauce, followed by tamarind broth and remaining
5 small ripe tomatoes, chopped water. Adjust the amount of water according to taste.
11/2 cups yellow miso paste
Add fried salmon belly into soup. Boil.
1 Tbsp fish sauce + more to
taste Add finger chillies and mustard greens. Remove from heat.
2 green finger chillies Adjust taste with fish sauce. Serve.
1 cup mustard greens (mustasa),
chopped Sinigang refers to a type of food preparation, which involves
cooking in sour soup. Different ingredients lend sourness of
varying degrees, from green tamarind, bilimbi fruit (kamias),
guava, batuan (a fruit typically found in Visayas) and calamansi
(calamondin or Philippine lime).
86 Seafood

Marnie Ong’s
Baked Milkfish
Baked Bangus
Shared by Kathlyn Ong Cham
My lolo was a health nut, so milkfish was always a staple in our meals—cooked in sinigang,
stuffed as relleno, or fried as daing. I liked it baked, which our family had a lot of versions
of. One of my uncles would simply top it with onions and tomatoes before sticking it in
the oven. My mom, on the other hand, would marinate and pan-fry the milkfish in butter
before adding toppings.
When I married, I experimented with my own recipe, using my mom’s dish as a base.
I had my husband taste-test it and it became one of his favourite dishes! I make this dish
almost every week and he never tires of it. I’ve served it at gatherings at home and even
brought it to potluck parties where it has been received warmly.
Serves 2 To make pesto, combine basil leaves, olive oil, pine nuts,
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil,
garlic and salt in a food processor. Pulse until all ingredients
more for drizzling come together.
1 whole large smoked milkfish Transfer mixture to a bowl and add cheese. Stir and add
(tinapang bangus) more olive oil to achieve desired consistency. Set aside.
4 cloves garlic, peeled and Preheat oven to 180ºC (350ºF).
minced
1 big white onion, peeled and
Brush a baking dish or baking tray with olive oil to prevent
chopped fish from sticking. Lay milkfish flat, skin side down on dish.
3 ripe tomatoes, chopped Spread pesto mixture onto milkfish.
salt and pepper, to taste In a bowl, combine garlic, onion, tomatoes, olive oil, salt and
pepper. Mix well and spread onto pesto mixture. Drizzle with
PESTO olive oil.
2 cups fresh basil leaves,
tightly packed Bake for 15–20 minutes. Serve.
1
/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp pine nuts Tasty tip For a richer dish, top the fish with slivers of butter just
before baking.
2 garlic cloves, chopped
salt, to season
1
/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
88 Seafood

Lorna Lombos dela Fuente’s
Stuffed Crabs
Rellenong Alimasag
Shared by Dedet dela Fuente
Due to its proximity to the sea, Parañaque has always thrived on seafood. Since my mom
grew up in the area, my dad and I got to enjoy the many seafood recipes she learned when
she was a kid. Rellenong alimasag has been my personal favourite since the first time
I tasted it.
I’ve always been fascinated with food. I remember insisting to accompany our house
help to the wet market where I’d see the catch of the day. I’d follow our purchase to the
kitchen and watch them prep and cook it. Then, I’d get to enjoy the final product come
mealtime. My mom preferred using male crabs since they were leaner and meatier.
I personally like the female or gay crabs for the crab fat. I adjusted this recipe to my liking,
taking out the raisins. In our household, this dish was always eaten with a condiment made
with light soy sauce and calamansi juice—never with tomato sauce or banana catsup like
some people I know would. To this day, that’s how I serve it to my daughters Liyora and
Lileya, who, like me, haven’t grown accustomed to having sauce on their burgers and
hotdogs. Like mother, like daughters—even when eating.
Serves 4 Steam crabs until cooked. Set aside to cool.

4 crabs (approximately 1.5 kg When cool to handle, take meat out of crab, setting aside
total weight), cleaned top crab shell.
Heat a little oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté garlic
3 cloves garlic, peeled and and onion until soft and translucent.
minced
Add potatoes and carrots. Sauté until soft. Add flaked crab
and minced
meat. Season with salt and pepper. Mix. Remove from heat
and transfer into a bowl. Set aside to cool.
4 medium potatoes, peeled and
chopped to small cubes Add beaten egg. Mix. Place mixture in crab shells, making
1 medium carrot, peeled and sure it is evenly distributed.
chopped to small cubes Deep fry stuffed crab shells for about 1–2 minutes until
salt and pepper, to taste cooked and golden brown. Serve.
1 large egg, beaten
90 Seafood

Juanita Sarthou’s
Crabs in Coconut Sauce with Guava
Shared by Myke Sarthou
Cebuanos love cooking and eating dishes with coconut milk. At home, we have a wide
range of recipes for both sweet and savoury dishes prepared with coconut cream (gata).
One ingredient that goes really well with the sweet nuttiness of coconut is crab. The Sunday
market always has a good variety and selection of fresh seafood, including crabs that are
fat and alive. My grandmother, Nita is from Naga, Bicol—another place recognized for the
bounteous amounts of coconut milk in their dishes. My mom and I both loved cooking them,
from shrimps in coconut milk (ginataang hipon) to this, crabs in coconut sauce with guava.
We simply picked the guavas from our backyard and added chillies for a lovely spice. Initially,
I thought it was a dish that was unique and original to our family, but I discovered a very
similar version in Bulacan, so I guess not.
Serves 6 to 10 Heat a little oil in a medium pot over medium heat and
cooking oil, as needed sauté onion, garlic, lemongrass and guavas until tender
and fragrant.
and minced Add crabs, vinegar and coconut cream. Simmer until crabs
4 cloves garlic, peeled and are cooked. Serve.
minced
2 stalks lemongrass (white part Tasty tip Coconut cream is what you get from squeezing liquid
only), minced out of ground matured coconut meat. It’s thicker than the second
5 ripe medium guavas, peeled extraction, which is coconut milk.
and sliced into strips
4 crabs (approximately 1.5 kg
total weight), cleaned and
sliced into half crosswise
4 Tbsp vinegar
1 cup coconut cream
92 Seafood

Rice
The Philippines is one of the largest producers of rice in the world, with parts
of Luzon, Western Visayas and Central Mindanao among the many regions that
harvest it extensively. The simplicity of rice is the perfect foil to the bold flavours
of Filipino cuisine, which makes these grains a staple in many households.
The country grows a wide variety of rice grains, including sinandomeng,
inorado, milagrosa and glutinous rice or malagkit. The same range extends
to the coloured varieties like organic black, red (left), violet (centre) and brown
rice (right). Rice is important for Filipinos; not only does it provide sustenance
to the people, it’s also vital to the country’s economy.

OUR LOCAL HARVEST
The Philippines, all 7,107 islands of it, is one big Visayas island of Samar produces a lot of
harvest basket with sprawling fertile land and cassava, coco sugar, organic rice, jackfruits
the vast sea as its produce-providing backyard. and taro, while parts of Leyte have coconuts
Close to half of the country’s total land area has and abacas. On the western part of the island
been devoted to agriculture, with coconuts and group, there are mangoes, sweet potatoes and
sugar cane claiming most of it. Major branches bananas from Guimaras. If Aklan and Capiz are
of the Pacific Ocean surround the archipelago, known for their oysters and mussels, Negros
including the Philippine Sea from the east, and Occidental lays claim on hogs, chickens and
the South China Sea and Sulu Sea on the west. eggs. Rounding everything up is muscovado
This location gives the country easy access to sugar from Iloilo. Central Visayas, on the other
the bounty of the waters. This partial listing, hand, has water buffaloes (carabao), native
which is categorized by the three major chickens, cacao and coconuts from both Cebu
island groups paints a picture of the country’s and Bohol and a crop of upland vegetables
commodities. from Negros Oriental.
Luzon Mindanao
Composed of eight regions, Luzon, the largest Located at the southernmost tip is Mindanao,
island in the country, is very mountainous in which is considered the agricultural basin
terrain. Isabela, being the largest province in of the country with most of the agri exports
the group, produces mung beans and peanuts. coming from the area. The CARAGA region,
Neighbouring Benguet has a long list of fruits which includes Surigao and Agusan del Norte
and vegetables while Nueva Vizcaya is bountiful and Sur, has livestock, seaweeds, soy beans
with poultry and bamboo. Central Luzon breeds and freshwater fish. Just below it is Davao
and raises goats in Bulacan, harvests rice in where durian, coffee, cacao, watermelon,
Nueva Ecija, and grows sweet potatoes and duck, prawns and swine abound. The region
ginger in Tarlac. There are dairy cattle and of Zamboanga produces sugar cane, calamansi,
swine in Batangas, chickens and native pigs in rice, corn, native chickens, seaweeds and
Marinduque, and a bevy of seafood like tilapia, sardines, while Northern Mindanao flaunts all
squid and mud crab in Catanduanes. that and more with items like carrots, cabbages,
eggplants and capsicums (bell peppers). Finally,
Visayas the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao,
The Visayas is composed mostly of islands where one can find Sulu and Tawi-tawi, has halal
surrounded by the Visayan sea. The Eastern native chickens and processed fish.

MEAT
Fried Spring Rolls 98
Hamonado 100
Sweet, Sour and Spicy Spare Ribs 102
Stewed Pork in White Vinegar with Fried Pork Lung
and Liver 104
Chicken and Pork in Annatto and Sugar Palm Vinegar 106
Beef Stew 108
Thrice-cooked Pork 110
Chorizo Recado 112
Beef Mechado 114
Lutong Toyo with Honey 116
Sautéed Pork in Shrimp Paste 118
Ox Tongue Asado 120
Stewed Ox Parts in Peanut Sauce 122
Cocido 124
Four-day Pork Belly 126

Malou Comsti-Baum’s
Fried Spring Rolls
Lumpiang Shanghai
Many people have their own version of this dish. This one was my Lola Nene’s, the mom
of my aunt Malou. My aunt’s mom would prepare it for special occasions like the Pasig fiesta,
which was a big deal then. Aunt Malou’s earliest memory of this recipe was when she was five
years old. It was early in the morning and she grabbed a handful of lumpia from the kitchen
to eat as she watched the parade. She remembers Lola Nene preparing it whenever her
father’s side of the family had New Year reunions, which were always potluck.
When Aunt Malou moved to the US, she brought with her this recipe. She cooked it for
her own children who love it now as much as she did back then. Over the years, she added
ham to the mix and it continues to be a hit at parties. I think this recipe is better than most.
Not only does it have pork, it also has shrimp and ham!
Serves 6 to 10 In a large bowl, combine minced pork, light soy sauce, garlic
1 kg minced pork
powder and salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Cover and set
aside for 10 minutes.
1 Tbsp garlic powder Add shrimps, bacon, water chestnuts and onion. Mix well.
salt and pepper, to season Add beaten eggs and mix thoroughly.
375 g shrimps, shelled, deveined Spoon 1/2 –1 Tbsp mixture on each lumpia wrapper and roll
and finely chopped up, making sure to moisten the edges to seal. You can freeze
12 strips bacon, finely chopped them at this point for deep-frying another day.
10 pieces water chestnuts,
Deep fry and transfer to a plate with paper towel to drain
peeled and minced
excess oil. Serve.
1 small yellow onion, peeled
and minced
There are many variations of lumpiang shanghai. Practically, each
2 large eggs, beaten
Filipino household has its own recipe for it. Others add green
50 pieces lumpia wrapper
peas, corn kernels and/or fresh herbs like coriander, but the
minced meat and sweet and sour dipping sauce are common.
98 Meat

Angelita Virrey Bernardo’s
Hamonado
Shared by Arnold Bernardo
Sunday was always a special occasion for my family because it was the only time my parents
could rest and spend quality time with their kids. My father and mother had full-time day
jobs and their own small businesses on the side, so Sunday was their only day off. My mom
never said it, but I felt she made that day extra extravagant for us. This dish is one of the
things she served on those occasions. She got the idea from her mother’s sister, but tweaked
the recipe to suit her own preferences. I remember it was May when she first served it. Now,
whenever I blowtorch a ham or make this dish, childhood memories come flooding back.
Just the thought of us eating together as a family makes me smile.
Serves 4 In a large pan, place all ingredients except white sugar, and
1 kg pork belly, sliced into
boil at medium heat until it becomes thick like a sauce.
2.5-cm strips Remove pork. Coat with white sugar and broil or torch until
11/2 cups anisado wine sugar has caramelized. Serve.
2 cups pineapple juice
1
/2 cup brown sugar, firmly Tasty tip Anisado wine or anisette liquor is a licorice-tasting
packed wine made with the anise herb. It is commonly used in processed
2 Tbsp dark light soy sauce meats.
1 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp salt
1
/2 tsp ground black pepper
1
/4 tsp dried oregano
1
/4 cup white sugar
100 Meat

Susan de Belen’s
Sweet, Sour and Spicy Spare Ribs
Shared by Janice de Belen
My mom believed that my sister Gelli and I needed to learn to do domestic tasks before we
reached the marrying age. We were taught how to clean the house and look after ourselves.
Cooking was also part of mom’s must-have set of skills, but we both weren’t into it. Mom said
that we needed to learn at least one dish. She made me read through her recipe book and
pick a dish I had to cook under her supervision. I was 9 years old then. After flipping through
the pages, I decided to do the sweet, sour and spicy spare ribs because it seemed the
easiest. That was the very first dish I prepared and it passed mom’s test.
Serves 4 to 6 In a small bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, garlic powder

1
/2 cup all-purpose flour
and salt and pepper. Stir.
1
/2 cup cornstarch Pat dry spare ribs with paper towels. Dredge each piece
1 Tbsp garlic powder on seasoned flour.
1 tsp salt Heat oil and deep-fry ribs for 3–4 minutes or until golden
1
/2 tsp freshly ground black brown. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain
pepper excess oil. Set aside.
1 kg pork spare ribs, sliced to Heat a little oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat and
individual bones sauté onions until soft and translucent. Transfer to a plate.
cooking oil, as needed Set aside.
2 medium white onions, peeled Add brown sugar and pineapple juice to the pan and simmer
and diced for 3 minutes.
2 Tbsp brown sugar
Add catsup and simmer for about 3 minutes until slightly
1
/2 cup pineapple juice thick in consistency.
1
/2 cup banana catsup
Add sriracha, capsicums and sautéed onions. Mix well.
1 Tbsp sriracha sauce
1 green capsicum (bell pepper), Add ribs. Toss everything in sauce.
sliced thinly Place grilled pineapple slices on a plate. Arrange ribs over
1 red capsicum (bell pepper), and pour remaining sauce on top. Serve.
sliced thinly
3 pineapple slices, grilled Tasty tip Large, heavy-bottomed pots are best for deep-frying
because it keeps the temperature steady. Thin-bottomed pots
have the tendency to bring the oil to a high temperature within
seconds and without any notice, causing food to burn more
easily.
102 Meat

Mommy Del’s
Stewed Pork in White Vinegar with
Fried Pork Lung and Liver
Adobong Puti with Bopis
Shared by Jam Melchor
Mommy Del is my grandmother’s sister. She never had kids, but she was motherly to her
sisters’ children and grandchildren. My sister Bea and I are among the lucky ones to have
experienced her care. She loves to cook and she and her husband, Daddy Gene, love to
prepare the dishes they inherited from their ancestors for us. This one is a combination
of two classic dishes—kilayin, which is Pampanga’s version of kilawin and fried pork lungs
(mepulutuc), or bopis where the lungs are stir-fried until crispy.
Serves 4 to 6 Separate pork skin and fat from pork meat. Cut everything
500 g pork shoulder (kasim) with
into 2 x 3-cm cubes. Set aside.
strips of fat and pork skin In a bowl, marinate meat in vinegar, bay leaves, oregano,
1 cup white vinegar half the garlic and salt and pepper. Cover. Set aside.
2 bay leaves Boil pork lung in salted water for 20 minutes, then chop into
1 Tbsp dried oregano small pieces. Place on a paper towel to dry.
1 garlic head, peeled and Heat a little vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat and fry
crushed, divided pork lung until dark brown. Set aside.
In a bowl, sprinkle salt on liver. Toss to coat well.
500 g pork lung
salt water, as needed Heat a little vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat
and stir-fry pork liver with its juices for about 10 minutes until
vegetable oil, as needed
just cooked.
2 tsp salt
250 g pork liver, cut into small
Heat a little vegetable oil in another pan over medium heat
cubes and fry pork skin and fat until they shrink to a third of their
original size. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel. Set
aside.
and chopped
2 cups water In same pan, sauté remaining garlic and onion. Add pork
meat along with marinade and water. Do not stir. Bring to a
boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Cook for 5–10 minutes.
Add pork lung, fried pork fat and pork liver. Mix to even out
cooking, then simmer until pork is tender. Serve.
Tasty tip In Pampanga where Jam Melchor’s family is based, this

dish is more commonly known as kilaying mepulutuc.
104 Meat

Felicidad Gonzales Ramos’
Chicken and Pork in Annatto
and Sugar Palm Vinegar
Adobong Pula
Shared by Ige Ramos
My father’s cousin and local Cavite historian, Puring Ballesteros, describes Caviteños’ eating
habit as “tono-tono, con todo recado” (everything in tune, with complete ingredients). A typical
Sunday lunch for the coastal Caviteño family consists of beef stew, vinegared papaya (kilawin
papaya) and adobong pula. The latter is a very unctuous and saucy, chicken-and-pork adobo
cooked in fish sauce. Annatto seeds give it a vibrant red hue.
My mother, Felicidad G. Ramos, a former principal and public school teacher, told me
that adobo in Cavite depended on ingredients and geography. In Cavite City (Cavite Puerto),
the usual variety is close to asado and uses light soy sauce and strong cane vinegar. On the
other hand, the adobo ng mga afuera—found in the rural coastal area—uses fish sauce,
annatto seeds, turmeric and coconut cream to create a deeper, more delicate flavour.
Serves 6 to 8 In a big bowl, combine pork belly, chicken, 1/4 cup annatto
500 g fatty pork belly, sliced
oil, fish sauce, vinegar, crushed peppercorns and 1 head
4 x 5-cm slices pounded garlic. Toss. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.
Separate pork and chicken. Reserve marinade.
1 kg chicken (adobo cut), include
the heart, liver and gizzard Heat remaining annatto oil in a pot over medium heat and
1
/2 cup annatto oil + more for sauté remaining pounded garlic. Once fragrant, add pork
frying and pan-fry until light golden brown. Transfer to a plate.
1 cup fish sauce + more to taste In the same pot, pan-fry chicken until golden brown. Add
3 cups sugar palm (kaong) more annatto oil if necessary. Add bay leaves and whole
vinegar + more to taste black peppercorns.
3 Tbsp black whole peppercorns; Return pork to pot and add reserved marinade. Adjust to
2 Tbsp crushed taste with more vinegar or fish sauce. Bring to a boil, then
2 heads garlic, skin on, lightly lower heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 45–60 minutes,
pounded, divided or until liquid is reduced to half. Serve.
6 bay leaves
The secret to great tasting adobong pula is the use of annatto
seeds and fish sauce for seasoning. The fish sauce is made with
finely distilled shrimp paste commonly called stinking fish sauce
(patis baho). Though it uses alamang, it should not be confused
with bagoong.
There are two neigbouring towns that manufacture this
special amber-coloured fish sauce: Timalan in Naic and Amaya
in Tanza. In the markets of Cavite, they are known as patis
timalan and patis amaya—though both are synonymous with
patis baho.
106 Meat

Gloria Ortega-Lacson’s
Beef Stew
Shared by Gwen Cariño
My mom’s eldest sister, Tita Gloria, is the kitchen goddess in our family. Aside from being
the perfect host, she knows how to prepare practically anything you ask her to cook. And she
does this with no formal culinary training. My grandparents trained their kids to help prepare
their meals and that’s where my aunt learned about food. I believe she became the most
passionate about cooking among all her siblings.
With any dish she cooks, whether it’s this or her other specialties like squid simmered
in coconut milk or her own creation, the mita de gloria (another tomato sauce-based beef
dish with olives and potatoes), she goes all out and doesn’t scrimp on quality ingredients—
and it shows in the delicious flavours of her dishes.
As this beef stew became part of their family’s cooking repertoire, it also became a
special-occasion staple in mine. Whenever we found out that we would be dining at her
place, my cousins and I would find out what was on the menu, and if it was beef stew, we
would skip meals in preparation for the battle ahead. Even my daughter, Sabine, would skip
lunch to make way for a heavy dinner at Tita Gloria’s.
Serves 4 to 6 Heat 3 Tbsp butter in a pan over medium heat. Once melted,
7 Tbsp butter, divided
fry beef cubes until brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
Set aside.
750 g beef cubes
1 medium yellow onion, peeled In the same pan, add onion and slightly caramelize.
and chopped Return beef to pan. Add water, enough to cover meat. Let
water, as needed boil, then bring down to a simmer. Cook until tender, about
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour 1 hour depending on cut and size.
11/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce In another pan, melt remaining butter. Add flour and stir with
3 medium potatoes, peeled a wooden spoon until golden brown and pasty.
and quartered
Add to beef and stir. Add Worcestershire sauce and bring
1 big carrot, peeled and cubed to a boil. Add potatoes and carrots and cook until tender.
8 pieces Baguio beans, tips
Once close to tender, add beans. Season with salt and
removed and cut in half
cross-wise
pepper. Serve.
Tasty tip Sear the meat on all sides until it develops a brown
crust. This is the key to creating a rich and caramelized beefy
flavour in your stew.
108 Meat

Anna Marie Gallegos’
Thrice-cooked Pork
Pork Sisig
Shared by Jessica Gallegos
In Pampanga where practically every household has its own version, sisig is like spaghetti—
it’s never absent on special occasions. In our home alone, they would cook it in a pot big
enough to feed a community. For a time, our menu, whenever there was a party, was always
this dish, steamed crabs and shrimps. I didn’t even know what the dish was made of, but I ate
it whenever it was served for Sunday lunch. I only found out when I asked what the crunchy
stuff was. I didn’t believe it until I was dragged to the kitchen to witness its preparation.
Since I had been eating it for years, it didn’t bother me at all.
It has been a long time since I last had this dish. I never had it the whole time I was living
in the United States. I requested my mom to cook it again for this book. It tasted exactly as I
remember it to be. I have a deeper appreciation for it now because we don’t have it as often.
Plus, I’ve tasted other kinds and they pale in comparison to my mom’s sisig.
Serves 4 to 6 In a stockpot over low heat, combine pig’s ears and jowl
2 /4 kg pig’s ears and jowl or
1 or cheek and salt. Add enough water to cover. Simmer for
cheek 45–60 minutes until pork is tender. Remove pork to cool.
Set aside.
1 Tbsp salt + more to taste
water, as needed Heat grill over hot charcoal. Grill pork parts until skin is crispy
and slightly charred. Let cool. When cool enough to handle,
dice. Set aside.
750 g chicken liver
1
/2 cup butter
Heat a little oil in a shallow pan over medium heat and fry
chicken liver. Let cool and dice. Set aside.
3 cups red onion, peeled and
minced In a bowl, combine diced pork, diced chicken liver, butter,
5 Tbsp calamansi juice onion, calamansi juice, vinegar, fried pork rind, liquid
seasoning, chillies, hot sauce and crushed black pepper.
1
/3 cup vinegar
2 cups crushed fried pork rind Mix well and transfer to a large pan over medium heat.
(chicharon) + extra for topping Sauté until butter has melted. Add salt to taste. Transfer to
1
/3 cup liquid seasoning a sizzling plate or serving plate.
4 red bird’s eye chillies, chopped Top with crushed fried pork rind. Serve.
2 Tbsp hot sauce
1 tsp freshly crushed black
pepper
110 Meat

Francisca Jiz de Ortega Vda de Jardeleza’s
Chorizo Recado
Shared by Rafael Jardeleza II
Back in the day, every household in Iloilo had their own recipe of the salty and tangy Spanish
chorizo. Coming from a family of butchers, my lola gained a lot of fans not just for her
chorizo recado, but also her ox tripe stew (callos), meatloaf (embutido), cured beef (tapa)
and deboned stuffed chicken (galantina). She made three kinds of chorizo: the pamintado
(spicy and garlicky), hamonado (red and sweet) and the bestselling recado (slightly sour, salty
and garlicky with cubed fat), which is my favourite.
During my grade school days, I would usually spend the weekends at my Lola Esca’s
house and she would cook me her special dishes. I would help her prepare the ingredients
and she would tell me that I needed to be patient so my dishes would turn out delicious.
I remember she had this glow in her face whenever she answered my questions. The recipe
originates from Spain, but uses ingredients that are indigenous to the region.
Serves 6 to 8 Mix all ingredients except sausage casings in a bowl. Cover

1 kg minced lean pork
and refrigerate. Let rest for 24 hours before cooking or
stuffing in casings.
250 g minced lean beef
250 g minced pork fat If serving skinless, simply fry the meat mixture in annatto oil
until meat is cooked. Serve.
250 g pork fat, finely chopped
20 cloves garlic, peeled and If stuffing, prick holes on the casings with a needle once
finely chopped stuffed. Hang to dry for at least a day.
1
/2 cup paprika powder
1
/2 Tbsp cumin powder The 300+ years Spain spent on Philippine soil left a significant
1
/2 Tbsp dried oregano mark on local cuisine. They introduced us to ingredients like
ham, guavas, pineapples, corn, capsicums (bell peppers),
1
/4 cup vinegar tomatoes and root crops, which they brought from home
2 Tbsp brown sugar and other colonies. Spanish dishes and cooking methods got
11/2 Tbsp salt incorporated into the people’s culinary knowledge and customs.
1 Tbsp freshly ground black While some remain true to the tradition, others have been
pepper adapted to the changing lifestyle.
The longganisa, for example, is a semblance of the chorizo
1
/4 cup annatto oil and it is, in fact, still called the latter in some Visayan regions.
sausage casings, optional It has been adapted according to the region’s flavour profile.
112 Meat

Lualhati Antonino’s
Beef Mechado
Shared by Eliza Antonino
My mom loves to cook and this is just one of her many recipes. She cooked for us a lot when
we were younger, but ever since she became a member of President Aquino’s Cabinet, she
has never had time to play in the kitchen. She would visit me when I lived in New York from
2000 to 2012. She would stay for a good two weeks and cook up a storm. On her last night,
she would make mechado, stewed ox parts in peanut sauce (kare-kare), tapa and sour soup
(sinigang) for me to store, freeze and keep. Some Pinoy dishes are better eaten days old,
but my friends would come over the very next day and empty out my fridge. I’ve tried to
make this recipe, but not to the speck of my mom. She still does it best. Compared to other
mechados where the sauce is a bit loose, the sauce in this recipe is thick, perfect to blanket
steamed rice. At home, I’d ask our helper to heat a bowlful for me. Then, after five minutes,
another bowl. And another. I always end up having more than what I intend to.
Serves 4 to 6 Heat a little oil in a deep pan over medium heat and sear
beef. Set aside.
1 kg beef oyster blade (kalitiran), In the same pan, sauté garlic, onion and tomatoes.
cubed
Return seared meat to pan and sauté together.
1 clove garlic, peeled and
minced Add light soy sauce, water and tomato paste. Simmer until
beef is tender.
1 large yellow onion, peeled and
chopped When done, add sugar and season with salt and pepper.
5 ripe tomatoes, blanched in hot Add dried oregano and basil. Simmer for another 3 minutes.
water, peeled, chopped and Serve with fried potatoes.
seeds removed
2 Tbsp light soy sauce Tasty tip This is best served with fish sauce and chopped red
2 cups water bird’s eye chilli as a condiment.
3 Tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp sugar
1
/2 tsp dried oregano
5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
fried potatoes, to serve
114 Meat

Floy Po’s
Lutong Toyo with Honey
Shared by Jackie Ang Po
I was first introduced to this dish when my then-future husband, Mitch, and I got together
17 years ago. We would often hang out at his Lola Floy’s and she would prepare this for us.
In a way, it brings the Po family together. Lola cooked it in big batches—at least three—on
regular days and without any occasion, prompting her grandchildren to visit, eat and take
some home. At one point, she had to write her name on the plastic containers using a
permanent marker so they would return them to her. I, on the other hand, took home the
recipe. I brought my own set of measuring cups, spoons and scales to her house; measured
her every move; and took note of the cooking procedure. I try to prepare it exactly how Lola
did because my daughter Kylie would often compare mine to hers.
Serves 4 to 6 In a large pot, place pork, garlic, light soy sauce and enough
1 kg pork belly, sliced 4 x 10-cm
hot water to cover meat. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a
slices simmer. Cook for about 1½ hours.
1 head garlic, peeled When liquid in pot reaches sauce consistency, add honey,
1 cup light soy sauce then cook for another 30 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish.
hot water, as needed Top with roasted garlic cloves and vegetable chips.
1
/2 cup honey
roasted garlic, to serve Tasty tip Unlike adobo, which is vinegar-based, this is more light
vegetable chips, to serve soy sauce-based and, as lola would say, native garlic works best
with it.
116 Meat

Mary Ann Dy’s
Sautéed Pork in Shrimp Paste
Binagoongang Baboy
Shared by Francis Faustino Dy
My dad was stationed in Isabela when I was growing up. Whenever he would return home
to Manila where we all were, my mom would prepare the food he likes. This dish is one of
his favourites so it was always on the table. My mom is a chef and a restaurateur. She came
up with this recipe based on her preferences. It’s neither too salty nor too pale in colour
and the pork remains crispy. Eggplant makes it unique and my siblings and I would fight
over the pieces. My family doesn’t live under one roof anymore. My dad is a governor in
Isabela, two of my younger brothers are studying in the United States, and my mom, my
brother, Mykee, and I are in Manila. I miss the times when we all sat around the same table,
eating and conversing. The last time we enjoyed something like that was last Christmas and
binagoongang baboy was served, of course.
Serves 4 In a deep pan over medium heat, place pork and add 1 cup
1.5 kg pork shoulder (kasim),
water. Boil until water is evaporated.
chopped to pieces Add cooking oil and sauté pork until light brown. Transfer
11/4 cups water divided pork to a plate. Set aside.
cooking oil, as needed In the same pan, sauté garlic, onion, tomatoes and shrimp
2 cloves garlic, peeled and paste.
minced
Return pork to pan. Add remaining water, chillies and banana
1 medium yellow onion, peeled catsup. Sauté for a minute. Transfer to a plate.
and chopped
6 ripe tomatoes, chopped In a shallow pan, fry eggplant slices on both sides. Place
on paper towels to drain excess oil, then on top of pork and
1
/2 cup shrimp paste (bagoong
serve.
alamang)
5 green chillies
Shrimp paste or bagoong alamang is a by-product of fermented
1
/4 cup banana catsup
minced minute shrimp and salt. Depending on its origin, shrimp
1 medium eggplant, sliced paste can vary in colour, pungency, texture and taste.
118 Meat

Yaya Chuchu’s
Ox Tongue Asado
Shared by J Gamboa
If there’s one dish that reminds me of my childhood, it has to be this. I don’t know exactly
how often we had this on our dinner table, but it was definitely not just for special
occasions. Incidentally, this is also one of the most popular dishes in all our MilkyWay
restaurants. It has been on the menu since day one and people would complain whenever
we run out of it.
We ate well growing up. My parents are both from Guagua, Pampanga. In the province,
they always had complete meals. There has to be soup, meat, fish, vegetables, rice, fruits
and dessert. All major food groups are present. It may be odd for a kid to enjoy ox tongue
but one, I didn’t know what it was then and two, we didn’t really care so long as it was tender,
meaty and had a rich tomato sauce. That’s all that mattered to us. It still tastes the same as it
was in the 1970s when we would usually have it. It must be the cook. Our Yaya Chuchu makes
this best.
Serves 6 to 8 Simmer ox tongue in salted water until tender for about

2 kg ox tongue
1 hour.
salted water, as needed Carefully remove skin from tongue, then let cool. When
1
/4 cup corn oil cool enough to handle, slice crosswise into 1-cm thick slices.
Set aside.
minced Heat corn oil in a deep pan over medium heat and sauté
2 medium onions, peeled garlic, onions and tomatoes until soft.
and minced Add tomato sauce and simmer for 10 minutes. Add sliced
500 g tomatoes, seeded ox tongue and simmer for 1 hour. Season with salt and
and chopped pepper. Serve.
2 cups tomato sauce
salt and pepper, to season As with many other cuisines around the globe, Filipino cuisine
has its own line of dishes that makes great use of offals or
the edible internal parts of animals. Ox tongue is perhaps the
most commonly used, as it is cooked in popular dishes such as
kare-kare, lengua and this dish. Beef tripe is used in rice congee
(goto) and callos.
In Bicol, there’s igado, which is a stew composed of pork
liver, kidney and heart. The papaitan, another famous Ilocano
dish, is a soup made with cow or goat innards and uses the bile,
a juice produced by the liver, to provide bitterness. Then there’s
dinuguan, which is a pig’s blood stew made with liver and
intestines.
In Manila, it’s not rare to see street vendors skewer and grill
different chicken parts, including the head, the neck and the
feet. Nothing ever goes to waste.
120 Meat

Mary Grace Arcega’s
Stewed Ox Parts in Peanut Sauce
Lola’s Kare-kare
Shared by Francis Faustino Dy
This kare-kare was always served whenever my mother’s side of the family, the Arcegas,
got together. My lola would make a huge pot for all my cousins, uncles and aunts to share.
Everyone would be fighting over the ox intestines so Lola Mary Grace doubled the amount
to accommodate all of our cravings. Latecomers had to settle for the other parts. My family
made it a point to head to my lola’s house early so we had first dibs on the prized parts.
When I was a kid, I’d pour a lot of the thick sauce on my rice and reward myself with five fat
and juicy pieces.
Lola passed away last year and my lolo has gotten weak. Nobody has since cooked the
kare-kare until my mom tested it for this cookbook. My brother, Mykee, and I indulged in it.
What a great way to remember lola by.
Serves 8 to 12 In a pot with water over medium heat, boil string beans,
500 g string beans, chopped to
eggplant and banana hearts separately, until half-cooked.
5-cm pieces Set aside. When cool enough to handle, slice eggplants.
500 g eggplant In another pot, boil each ox part separately, until tender.
2 pieces banana hearts, chopped Set aside, including broth. When cool to handle, chop each
part to pieces.
1 kg ox intestine
1 kg ox tail Heat annatto oil in a large pan over medium heat and sauté
1 kg ox tripe
garlic. Add ox tail, ox tripe and ox skin. Mix for 10 minutes.
Set aside.
1 kg ox skin
1
/2 cup annatto oil In a large pot, heat broth. Add ground peanuts and peanut
butter. Mix well and bring to a boil. Add ox parts, annatto oil
2 heads garlic, peeled and
mixture and salt. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add vegetables
crushed
and intestines and after a minute, remove from heat.
1.5 kg ground peanuts
4 cups smooth peanut butter Serve with shrimp paste.
2 Tbsp salt
shrimp paste, to serve Tasty tip To make annatto oil, heat 1 cup vegetable oil in a
pan. Once it starts to smoke, lower the flame and add 2 Tbsp
annatto seeds (achuete). In seconds, the oil will turn from yellow
to copper. Move the seeds occasionally with a wooden spoon to
prevent them from burning. After 2 minutes, strain the oil into a
container and discard the seeds.
122 Meat

Carol and Chito Villavicencio’s
Cocido
Shared by Robby Goco
The Villavicencios and the Gocos are very close-knit families from Taal. Our grandparents
were friends and neighbours and our ancestral homes sat right across each other. We
have uncles who have become business partners and buddies. And until now, that strong
relationship continues in my generation. Many families have their own recipes for this, but
my family’s cocido allows every ingredient to shine despite the thick tomato broth.
I remember beef bones would be hanging from the kitchen ceiling. They helped to flavour
the stock and were left to dry after. Both families also share the same recipe for adobong
taal, which is adobo cooked in turmeric.
Serves 4 to 6 To make eggplant sauce, boil, peel and mash eggplants

1 kg beef short ribs, cut into
before mixing all ingredients in a food processor until well
5 x 5 x 2.5-cm pieces combined. Transfer to a container. Set aside.
salt and pepper, as needed Season short ribs with salt and pepper.
5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat and sear short ribs
4 cloves garlic, peeled, minced on both sides. Transfer to a plate. Set aside.
3 medium onions, peeled, sliced In the same pan, sauté garlic, onions and tomatoes for about
5 tomatoes, chopped 5 minutes. Add short ribs, chorizo, tomato sauce and enough
4 pieces chorizo, sliced water to cover the meat.
3 cups tomato sauce Cover and simmer meat for about 21/2 hours until meat
water, as needed is fork-tender.
2 Tbsp fish sauce Season with fish sauce, salt, pepper and sugar.
1 Tbsp white sugar
Cook over low heat until sauce is reduced and thick.
1 sweet potato, large, peeled,
boiled and cubed Spoon meat and sauce into a serving casserole and
3 medium Cardaba bananas individually arrange all vegetables on top of meat.
(saging na saba), boiled, cubed Serve with eggplant sauce.
1 bunch Chinese cabbage (pechay)
leaves, steamed and chopped
1 small head cabbage, chopped
and steamed
1 bunch string beans, steamed
and chopped
EGGPLANT SAUCE
2 medium eggplants
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 Tbsp sugar cane vinegar
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
124 Meat

Fernando Gokioco’s
Four-day Pork Belly
Shared by Decker Gokioco
My dad got this recipe from his mom. He was born in the Philippines, but his parents were
from China. This dish confirms how his family is made up of good cooks.
I first got to taste this when I was in elementary school. My room was on the third floor
and my dad would grill the marinated pork belly on the ground floor. The smoky aroma woke
me up one Saturday morning like a delicious alarm clock. When the pork kissed the hot
grill and its fragrance reached my room, it was time to rise from bed and get ready to eat.
Even our neighbours asked what was for lunch. We tried marinating the pork for a day, but
it lacked flavour and colour as it has to be marinated for 4 days. We used to have this for
special occasions. Nowadays, we hardly get to enjoy it because dad is 70 and needs to watch
his diet.
Serves 4 to 6 In a bowl, combine all ingredients except for pork belly.

1 kg pork belly, cut into
Mix well.
1-cm thick slices Pound pork lightly to tenderise. Add to marinade. Cover and
2 Tbsp hoisin sauce refrigerate for 4 days to achieve the right taste and colour.
freshly ground black pepper, Grill until cooked, about 7 minutes on each side. Serve.
to season
1 Tbsp brandy
Filipinos’ love for grilled food can’t be denied. Be it on the
1 Tbsp hot sauce island shore, in the backyard or in the middle of the city, you’ll
5 Tbsp light soy sauce see people fanning the flame and barbecuing anything from
5 Tbsp barbecue sauce skewered meats and whole fish to uncommon delicacies like
chicken feet and pig intestines. Depending on the dialect,
barbecue can be referred to as inasal in Ilonggo, sugba in
Cebuano and inihaw in Tagalog.
126 Meat

03 Dessert,Endlims p128-156.indd 128 28/8/14 9:11 AM
DESSERTS
Pasta de Macapuno 130

Rosquillos 132
Cassava Cake 134
Sweet Mung Bean Porridge 136
Banana Crumble 138
Mixed Fruits in Coconut Milk 140
Carabao’s Milk Custard 142
Sponge Loaf Cake 144
Brown Sugar Spice Cake with Baked Icing 146
Rosemarie Cake 148

Amparo Aguas Mercado’s
Pasta de Macapuno
Shared by Chona Ayson
Whenever I ask mom for heirloom recipes, she would always mention this. Since it was
something I had never come across, tasted, or even heard of, I often dismissed it and
asked for another. As expected, she gave me the same answer when I asked for a recipe
for this book. I finally decided to give it a shot and looked for the recipe in my mother and
grandmother’s notes.
I learned that Lola Paring prepared it on special occasions while my mom, Lou, only
made it once as she was more into cakes. I gathered all the ingredients, made it and ended
up liking it! My lola noted that it’s perfect, just the way she remembers it from before. I regret
neglecting it because it’s addictive and very delicious. Thank God for this book.
Makes about 34 pieces Preheat oven to 160ºC (325ºF).

1 /2 cups fresh water buffalo
1
Prepare leche crema. In a non-reactive stainless steel pan
(carabao) milk over low heat, cook milk, flour and sugar until thick. Temper
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour egg yolks and carefully stir it in. Continue to cook for 2 more
1 cup sugar minutes. Set aside.
3 large egg yolks In a bowl, combine macapuno, sugar, beaten egg yolks and
1 fresh macapuno, finely grated butter. Stir.
/2 cup sugar
1
Stir in macapuno mixture into pot of leche crema. Return
6 large egg yolks, beaten to heat and cook until it sticks to the bottom of the pan.
4 Tbsp butter, softened Immediately transfer to a bowl set in an ice bath. Stir
continuously to cool.
2 egg yolks + 2 tsp milk for
egg wash When cool enough to handle, take a spoonful of mixture
5 maraschino cherries, chopped (about 25 g) and shape into a ball with your hands. Brush
with egg wash and place into a paper cup. Top with
chopped cherries. Arrange on a cookie sheet and bake for
7–10 minutes or until lightly brown.
Cool and refrigerate. Serve.
Macapuno is a aberrant coconut from the tree. The meat, which

is jelly-like in texture, has absorbed most of the coconut water.
130 Desserts

Florida Young’s
Rosquillos
Shared by Karen Young
A popular Philippine delicacy, rosquillos are a flat, crisp, ring-shaped cookie with flower-like
edges. They originate from the island of Cebu where my mother-in-law, Florida, and I both
come from. She took after her mother Haney Uytengsu who had excellent culinary skills and
ran a tight ship in her kitchen. When I was a young wife, Mommy Florida gave me a treasure
trove of recipes she collected through the years, some of which are family recipes from her
own mom. Among those are the home-made rosquillos. We used to put a cookie on each
finger and challenge ourselves to just eat the edges without breaking the cookie until it
looked like an actual ring.
Makes about a dozen Preheat oven to 150ºC (300ºF).

135 g all-purpose flour In a bowl, sift all dry ingredients. Set aside. In another bowl,
1 tsp baking powder beat butter using a hand mixer. Gradually add sugar. Beat for
/4 tsp baking soda
1 4 minutes. Add egg and vanilla. Beat for 30 seconds.
60 g butter, softened On the lowest speed possible, gradually add dry ingredients
100 g white sugar to butter mixture and beat until ingredients are incorporated.
Scrape down sides.
1 large egg
/8 tsp vanilla extract
1 Roll the dough until 0.5-cm thick. Make ring-shaped flat
cookies using a cookie cutter and place on a baking tray
lined with a non-stick mat. If you don’t have a ring-shaped
cookie cutter, you can use two sizes of round cookie cutters,
the smaller of the two, making the hole. Just remember to
empty the hole.
Bake for 9–15 minutes (for a 3.8-cm round size) or until
edges are golden. The bigger the diameter of your cookie,
the longer it will take to bake. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Serve or store in an airtight container.
Rosquillos are known to originate from Cebu, specifically from

the municipality of Liloan. The name stems from the Spanish
word rosca, which means ringlet, befitting of the cookie’s unique
shape. There are many more such generations-old delicacies
from the Spanish. There is biscocho, which is a sugary buttered
toast, hojaldres, a sweet flaky pastry and galletas, which are thin
cookies. These were among the first baked items to come out of
local bakeries or panaderias, after the Spanish brought in wheat
and taught the women how to make biscuits and bread. They
are still popular to date.
132 Desserts

Veronica Gordon Lorenzana’s
Cassava Cake
Shared by Ana Lorenzana-de Ocampo
Summers growing up were often spent in Zambales. My mother, Veronica, owned a farm
in Iba, where a few livestock grazed on an area populated with lush mango trees. On our
farm trips, my siblings and I would be excited to play in the fields, but more so to indulge
on the spread my mother would lay out on her long antique wooden table. Among some
of the delicious dishes she served, were the chicken relleno and her mother’s chunky
dinuguan, but what we really waited for was her specialty—cassava cake. The very simple
dessert, with an overlay of grated cheese as its only indulgence, is easily a family favourite.
Even as I stand amid all the pastries we serve at Wildflour Bakery + Café, I still dream of that
cassava cake.
Makes two 27 X 19-cm cakes Preheat oven to 200ºC (400ºF). Grease two 27 x 19-cm
1 /2 kg cassava, peeled and
1 baking pans.
shredded In a bowl, combine all ingredients for cassava cake. Mix well.
/3 cup butter, melted
1 Pour batter to pan. Bake for 30–45 minutes until set. Transfer
3 medium eggs to a wire rack to cool.
3 cups coconut cream For the topping, combine coconut cream, flour, condensed
(kakang gata) milk and eggs in a bowl. Mix well. Transfer to a saucepot and
387 g can condensed milk place over low heat. Stir until thick. Let cool, then spread
mixture on top of cassava cake.
TOPPING
Top with grated cheese, then return to the oven for a few
2 1/3 cups coconut cream minutes or until cheese is melted and golden brown.
/3 cup cake flour
1
Let cool.
387 g can condensed milk Top with more grated cheese. Slice and serve.
3 medium eggs
1 cup quickmelt cheese, grated
Tasty tip Mix a cup of macapuno in the cassava cake batter
+ more for garnish
for added flavour and texture.
134 Desserts

Olivia Guanzon’s
Sweet Mung Bean Porridge
Guinataang Monggo
Shared by Addie Wijangco
In the Philippines, whenever a newborn baby turns from its back to its front, the household
would be made to eat guinataang monggo supposedly for strong bones. I’m not a fan of
the dish, also called lelut balatung, but I’m forced to eat it like everyone else. I prefer the
corn version (guinataang mais), a dessert I still ask our cook to prepare every now and then,
especially since my kids like them too.
My mom taught me this recipe after I had my first child. She gave no definite
measurements and simply told me to follow my instincts. Many Filipinos make guinataang
monggo pretty much the same way, but our family eats it for a completely different reason.
Serves 2 In a pan over low heat, place mung beans and roast until
brown. Let cool.
/2 cup mung beans (monggo)
1
250 g glutinous rice (malagkit) Gently crack beans using a mortar and pestle.
13/4 cups coconut milk Transfer beans to a pot, along with glutinous rice and
/4 cup white sugar
1 coconut milk. Let boil.
Add sugar. Stir and simmer until rice is cooked. Adjust
sweetness according to taste. Serve warm.
Guinataang, alternately spelled ginataan, refers to a type of

food preparation that involves cooking with coconut milk. It
can either be savoury like shrimps (guinataang hipon) or squash
and long beans (guinataang kalabasa at sitaw), or sweet like this
dessert.
136 Desserts

Minda Fuentes’
Banana Crumble
Shared by Faye Fuentes-Viray
I still remember watching my dad harvest bunches of bananas hanging from their stalks in his
farm. They came in this beautiful shade of green, which would turn yellow when we left them
at home to ripen. Not knowing what to do with all of them, my mom turned them into
a dessert she had tried at a retreat house in Laguna.
The first time I had this dessert, I was probably 10 years old. It had this crisp yet soft
buttery topping with a syrupy banana base. My sweet tooth was immediately drawn to its
textures and flavour. It was a perfect match to my dad’s favourite butter-vanilla (mantecado)
ice cream.
Nowadays, I cook it with my daughter, Michelle, and sometimes with her friends during
play dates. Her favourite part is mixing the crumb topping with her bare hands. For her,
it’s like playing with clay.
Makes one 15 x 20-cm casserole In a medium saucepot over medium heat, melt softened
1 stick butter, softened + 1 stick
butter and add brown sugar. Allow to dissolve.
butter, cold and cut to cubes Add sliced bananas and stir. Cook until bananas have
11/2 cups brown sugar caramelized.
10 pieces Cardaba banana Remove from heat. Transfer to a 15 x 20-cm casserole.
(saging na saba), peeled Set aside.
and sliced diagonally about
0.5-cm thick Preheat oven to 200ºC (400ºF)
1 /4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1
In a bowl, combine flour and sugar. Using a pastry cutter, cut
/2 cup white sugar
1 flour and sugar into cold butter until crumbly. Sprinkle on top
of bananas.
Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Serve.
Tasty tip Serve this warm ala mode, with a scoop of ice cream.
The contrast in temperature between the warm crumble and the
cold ice cream makes for a delectable treat.
138 Desserts

Nene Fuentes’
Mixed Fruits in Coconut Milk
Guinataang Halo-halo
It’s a tradition in the Philippines to visit the province and flock to the graves of departed
relatives and friends on November 1, All Saint’s Day. Candles and flowers are offered; prayers
are said. It’s also the time when we’d get to enjoy our Lola Nene’s guinataang halo-halo.
The big pot waiting at her Caniogan home for anybody who wants a cool-down after the
sweltering heat of the cemetery. It has become our pit stop before heading back. My mom
would always be ready with a big container to take some home. It doesn’t last for long
though. Lola’s halo-halo is a family favourite, especially my parents’, for as long as I can
remember.
Serves 6 to 10 In a pot over low to medium heat, combine 1 cup of coconut

2 cups coconut cream, divided
cream, water, sweet potatoes and bananas. Boil, then bring
to a simmer.
11/2 cups water
500 g sweet potatoes (kamote), Add rice balls, jackfruit and sugar. Mix.
peeled and cubed When ingredients are almost tender, add remaining coconut
500 g Cardaba bananas (saging cream, taro root and tapioca pearls. Mix for a minute.
na saba), peeled and cut into Remove from heat. Serve warm or cold.
bite-size pieces
250 g glutinous rice balls Saging na saba or cardaba banana is a starchy type of banana
(bilo-bilo) that’s perfect for cooking. It is widely used in Filipino cuisine,
5 pieces jackfruit, sliced especially in desserts like maruya (banana fritters), turon (sweet
lengthwise fried banana spring roll) and banana cue (fried caramelized
5 Tbsp sugar bananas in skewers).
500 g taro root (gabi), peeled,
quartered and boiled until
tender
1 cup cooked small tapioca
pearls
140 Desserts

Olivia Guanzon’s
Carabao’s Milk Custard
Tibok-tibok
Shared by Addie Wijangco
I first ate tibok-tibok in Bale Tisa, an old house in Pampanga that is now covered in lahar
due to the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991. I can’t remember the date or how old I was, but
I remember liking it from the very beginning, which is why I’ve kept this handy recipe
with me. It’s from my mom who, in turn, got it from a relative. This recipe is so easy to do,
especially now that water buffalo (carabao) milk is so accessible. I make it frequently—for
special occasions, for snacking, for my children who often crave it, for binge-eating. Come
to think of it, for everyday consumption.
Makes one 13 x 18-cm pudding In a bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch and milk. Stir to
6 Tbsp sugar
dissolve.
6 Tbsp cornstarch or more Transfer to a pot over low heat and stir continuously until
depending on preference thick.
of firmness
Pour into a 13 x 18-cm greased pan and let cool until firm.
2 cups water buffalo (carabao)
milk Top with coconut milk curd. Slice and serve.
3 Tbsp coconut milk curd (latik)
Filipinos love kakanin or native delicacies. These are uniquely
Filipino desserts or snacks that are made with ingredients such
as root crops like cassava for cassava cake or taro for ube halaya,
rice flour for bibingka and cuchinta, coconut for tupig, glutinous
rice for suman and biko and coconut milk for sapin-sapin. These
are always present come barrio fiesta and make for delicious
pasalubong (homecoming gifts).
142 Desserts

Mama Ponying’s
Sponge Loaf Cake
Taisan
Mama Ponying’s taisan recipe is the very inspiration behind this cookbook series. My aunt
Carmina apparently has a copy of it. Decades ago, she asked my eldest brother, Carlo,
to scribble it down for her. Like me, my aunt liked Mama Ponying’s sponge cake, and being
the good and obedient boy that my brother was, he did as he was told. I’ve attempted to do
it several times, and I believe that I haven’t come close to how good I remember it to be.
Makes two 20 x 10-cm loaves Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Grease and line two
20 x 10-cm pans.
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided + more In a bowl, sift flour, ¾ cup sugar, baking powder and salt
for sprinkling thrice.
3 tsp baking powder Make a well and add egg yolks, oil and water. Stir gently
/2 tsp salt
1 with a wooden spoon until combined. Set aside.
7 large eggs, yolks and whites In another bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar using
separated a hand mixer. With the mixer running, slowly add remaining
/2 cup vegetable oil
1
sugar and drizzle calamansi juice. Continue beating until
/2 cup water
1 medium peaks.
/2 tsp cream of tartar
1
Fold egg white mixture into egg yolk mixture until even.
4 Tbsp calamansi juice Transfer to a baking pan lined with baking paper.
1 cup butter, softened Bake for 40–50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the
centre comes out clean.
Once done, transfer to a wire rack and let rest for 2 minutes.
Remove from pan. Spread butter all over cake, allowing heat
to melt it. Sprinkle with sugar. Let cool.
Slice and serve.
Tasty tip This recipe may be adapted to make another popular

sponge cake called mamon. Use fluted individual mamon liners
and bake for half the time.
144 Desserts

Concepcion Yulo Garcia’s
Brown Sugar Spice Cake with Baked Icing
Shared by Felice Prudente Sta. Maria
I learned to bake cakes by watching and helping out in Lola Conching’s kitchen. Lola never
cooked, she only baked. I watched as a helper creamed the butter and sugar by hand and
performed all the tasks needed to get the batter into the oven. Lola herself would stick a
toothpick into the centre of the cake to see if it was done. I spent many precious moments
at her home along D. Tuason Street.
Not wanting to raise their families under Martial Law, Lola Conching’s children moved
to California in 1972. When she decided to join them later on, she began cleaning out her
home, sorting wedding gifts from the 1920s to give away or sell to antique dealers. She gave
me her cookbooks and also those from her sister, my mother’s mom, who left the Philippines
after World War II. The recipe books have become true keepsakes.
Makes one 20-cm round cake Preheat oven to 120ºC (250ºF).

1 cup shortening In a bowl, cream shortening using a hand mixer. Add brown
2 cups brown sugar sugar gradually and cream thoroughly.
2 cups eggs, about 8 large eggs Add eggs one at a time, beating after every addition.
2 egg yolks Add yolks and continue beating until combined.
2 2/3 cups cake flour In another bowl, sift cake flour, salt, baking soda, baking
/2 tsp salt
1
powder and powdered spices together.
1 tsp baking soda Add dry ingredients to shortening mixture alternately with
1 tsp baking powder water and milk. Mix gently until combined.
/2 tsp clove powder
1
Pour into a greased and floured 20-cm round pan. Bake
/2 tsp ginger powder
1
for 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and set aside to cool.
/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1
To make icing, beat egg whites until soft peaks. Add sugar
/2 cup sour milk
1
gradually and beat until stiff peaks. Spread on top of cake
/2 cup water
1
and sprinkle with nuts.
ICING Return to the oven and bake to harden icing and until the
cake is light brown, around 5 minutes. Cool before serving.
2 egg whites
1 cup brown sugar
Tasty tip You can use unsalted butter instead of shortening,
/2 cup nuts, chopped
1
and all-purpose flour, sifted twice, instead of the cake flour.
146 Desserts

Cynthia Javier Gavino’s
Rosemarie Cake
Shared by Jun Jun de Guzman
This cake was often served during birthdays and other parties and I ate it often as a kid.
My sister Cynthia was always tasked to make it since she learned the recipe from her
first cooking class. It’s quite different from the other cakes she baked. The rosemarie is
immensely rich, but soft and refreshing at the same time.
I learned my basic baking knowledge from my sister. She used to make me repeat
what she baked. I mastered my first chocolate cake under her guidance. It’s one of the
most meticulous desserts she taught me because the icing took two hours to make! She
also tutored me on how to prepare a banana cake, something she commercially sold back
then. As early as that time, I was already fascinated by how baking could transform simple
ingredients like flour, butter and eggs to something totally different and delicious. Naturally,
this recipe came from her.
Makes one 23-cm round cake Preheat oven to 160ºC (325ºF). Line two 23-cm round pans.
FRUIT MIXTURE Prepare fruit mixture. Soak cherries and pineapple in rum
18–20 maraschino cherries, for an hour. Set aside.
sliced + whole cherries to
Make cake. Beat whole eggs with a whisk attachment on a
decorate
standing mixer on full speed until fluffy and has increased
227 g can crushed pineapple, in volume, about 8 minutes. Add sugar a little at a time and
drained continue beating until thick and lemon coloured, about
/4 cup dark rum
1
7 minutes. Lightly fold in cake flour by sifting into mixture
and gently folding in three additions.
CAKE
Add melted butter and fold. Pour batter equally among
6 large eggs
the two cake pans. Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick
/4 cup sugar
3
inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack
11/3 cups cake flour, sifted twice for 5 minutes, then remove from pan. Return to rack to
3 Tbsp melted butter completely cool.
Make buttercream frosting. Place egg whites and sugar in
BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
a bowl over simmering water. Whisk until sugar melts and
3 egg whites mixture is warm. Transfer to a standing mixer and continue
/4 cup sugar
3
whisking until cool and foamy. Change attachment to a
1 cup salted butter, cubed paddle and slowly add butter until blended. Mix well. Drain
and softened at room fruit mixture of excess liquid and incorporate. Transfer
temperature frosting to a piping bag. Sandwich cakes with frosting and
decorate as desired with frosting and cherries. Slice and
serve.
Tasty tip Sifting the flour multiple times aerates it, ensuring that
the cake will turn out light and fluffy.
148 Desserts

A TASTE OF THE REGIONS
The archipelagic republic of the Philippines is divided into three major island
groups—Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao—and 17 regions. The geographical set up
and history of each province dictates the available resources and distinct flavours
of their food. As such, regional cuisine could not be more diverse and interesting.
When in the Philippines, do as Filipinos do—eat to your heart’s content.
Bicol
Coconut trees take up a large area of the region, so Bicolanos have the luxury of
enjoying dishes cooked in coconut milk (adjacent province, Quezon, shares the
same good fortune). What makes Southern Luzon different from other provinces is
their love for coconut and chilli, a combination they are famous for. Bicol is regarded
as the land of fire for three things: the picture-perfect Mayon Volcano, which is still
very active; the locals’ devotion to Our Lady of Peñafrancia; and their fondness
for cooking with chilli, which many households grow in their own backyard. Dishes
showcasing the popular pair are bicol express, laing, made with taro leaves and
shredded seafood, kinunot, composed of stingray meat and moringa leaves and
pinangat, which is cooked with shrimp paste, dried fish and taro leaves.
Ilocos
The region is notorious for its extreme weather—hot summers and wet seasons
marked by typhoons. The coastline allows for salt mines and for the freshest
catch, alluding to both seafood and seaweed. Consequently, its dishes use a lot
of salt, dried fish and shrimp paste. Vegetables are colourful and varied, with a
permanent spot on any Ilocano dining table. The twice-fried pork belly (bagnet),
sausages (longganisa) and stuffed bread or pastry (empanada) are must-tries, but
Ilocos is also known for their vegetables laced with bagoong and their penchant
for balancing bitter and salty profiles. Examples are the pinakbet, a medley of okra,
bitter gourd (ampalaya) and eggplant cooked in shrimp paste and dinengdeng
or inabraw, where vegetables, along with their flowers and leaves are boiled with
fish paste.
Central Luzon
Since the region has the largest flatland in the country, it is fertile and rich with the
country’s dining must-have: rice. During the Spanish Rule, locals were given a crash
course on basic cooking by friars and sailors, making the Kapampangans among the
best cooks in the country, a trait that was passed on to the current generation. Since
the province is situated inland, pork and poultry have become the meat of choice,
150

as well as exotic fare like frogs (betute) and mole crickets (camaru). Most of the
seafood like fish and crabs are, in fact, freshwater. Kapampangan fare has a good
number of stuffed dishes like beef roulade (morcon), Spanish-influenced food such
as bringhe, which is reminiscent of Paella and native glutinous rice-based treats
and delicacies like kalamay and suman.
Southern Tagalog
With lush lands and access to rivers and the sea, this region gets to enjoy the
harvest of its geography. Like Bicol, coconuts are rampant and featured in the local
fare. Tagalogs, however, skip the heat and move on to the tart. They frequently
use souring agents like bilimbi fruit, guava and tamarind to add flavour to their
broths. Their sinigang has coconut water, their adobo has coconut milk and their
sweet nilupak or minukmok is made with cassava and coconut milk. Their rice
cakes, like the espasol, which is chewy and cylindrical in form, and sinukmani or
biko, glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk, are prized snacks.
Visayas
As it is a region surrounded by water (including the Pacific Ocean), the Visayas
thrives on an abundance of saltwater fish, crabs, prawns, oysters and mussels.
Seafood is also conserved by being rolled in salt and dried under the sun. It is also
the country’s sugar capital and the producer of such delicacies as flat unleavened
bread filled with muscovado sugar (piaya) and thin, long banana chips coated with
caramelized sugar and sesame seeds (pinasugbo). Other Visayan signature dishes
are a hearty soup with pork organs and noodles (batchoy), barbecued chicken
basted with annatto oil (chicken inasal) and a quintessential Ilonggo dish made
with pigeon peas, pork and batwan fruit (kadyos, baboy at langka).
Mindanao
Because of its proximity to Malaysia, Mindanao’s cuisine has been punctuated with
spices like turmeric, ginger, curry and chilli. Seafood is a staple because aside from
its location, religion prohibits some people from eating pork. These two influences
can be seen in dishes like stingray cooked in coconut milk and burnt coconut meat
(syagul). Similarly prepared is pyanggang, which uses barbecued chicken. Sambal
is commonly used as a base for many of their dishes, while root crops like yams
and cassava root sneak its way in their meals. Apart from neighbouring countries,
Mindanao has also been influenced by Spain and it is evidenced by the cusido,
a hearty stew of pork, sausages, vegetables and cardaba banana.
151

Salt
The Philippine Islands is surrounded by the sea, making salt harvest possible.
One province in particular has become recognized for it—Pangasinan, which
literally means a “place for salt.” Among its products are the hand-harvested
Pangasinan Star fleur de sel (left) and the sugpo asin, which is harvested in
shrimp farms.
The asin tibook (centre) hails from Bohol and although laborious to
produce, provides more depth of flavour than the fleur de del. The baked
duldul rock salt (right) from Guimaras is gently patted onto warm steamy rice
to give the grain a delicate salty flavour. Salt-making, however, is a fading art.
Only a few families continue the tradition of making the latter two varieties.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
Quantities for this book are given in Metric, Imperial and American (spoon) measures. Standard
spoon and cup measurements used are: 1 tsp = 5 ml, 1 Tbsp = 15 ml, 1 cup = 250 ml. All measures
are level unless otherwise stated.
LIQUID AND VOLUME MEASURES DRY MEASURES

METRIC IMPERIAL AMERICAN METRIC IMPERIAL
5 ml 1
/6 fl oz 1 teaspoon 30 grams 1 ounce
10 ml 1
/3 fl oz 1 dessertspoon 45 grams 11/2 ounces
15 ml 1
/2 fl oz 1 tablespoon 55 grams 2 ounces
60 ml 2 fl oz 1
/4 cup (4 tablespoons) 70 grams 21/2 ounces
85 ml 21/2 fl oz 1
/3 cup 85 grams 3 ounces
90 ml 3 fl oz 3
/8 cup (6 tablespoons) 100 grams 31/2 ounces
125 ml 4 fl oz 1
/2 cup 110 grams 4 ounces
180 ml 6 fl oz 3
/4 cup 125 grams 41/2 ounces
250 ml 8 fl oz 1 cup 140 grams 5 ounces
300 ml 10 fl oz (1/2 pint) 11/4 cups 280 grams 10 ounces
375 ml 12 fl oz 11/2 cups 450 grams 16 ounces (1 pound)
435 ml 14 fl oz 13/4 cups 500 grams 1 pound, 11/2 ounces
500 ml 16 fl oz 2 cups 700 grams 11/2 pounds
625 ml 20 fl oz (1 pint) 21/2 cups 800 grams 13/4 pounds
750 ml 24 fl oz (11/5 pints) 3 cups 1 kilogram 2 pounds, 3 ounces
1 litre 32 fl oz (13/5 pints) 4 cups 1.5 kilograms 3 pounds, 41/2 ounces
1.25 litres 40 fl oz (2 pints) 5 cups 2 kilograms 4 pounds, 6 ounces
1.5 litres 48 fl oz (22/5 pints) 6 cups
2.5 litres 80 fl oz (4 pints) 10 cups
OVEN TEMPERATURE LENGTH

°C °F GAS REGULO METRIC IMPERIAL
Very slow 120 250 1 0.5 cm 1
/4 inch
Slow 150 300 2 1 cm 1
/2 inch
Moderately slow 160 325 3 1.5 cm 3
/4 inch
Moderate 180 350 4 2.5 cm 1 inch
Moderately hot 190/200 370/400 5/6
Hot 210/220 410/440 6/7
Very hot 230 450 8
Super hot 250/290 475/550 9/10

FURTHER READING
Barretto, Glenda Rosales. Flavours of the Philippines: A Culinary Guide to the

Best of the Islands. Via Mare Catering Services, 1997.
Besa, Amy and Dorotan, Romy. Memories of Philippine Kitchens. Stewart, Tabori
and Chang, 2006.
Cordero-Fernando, Gilda. Philippine Food and Life. Anvil Publishing, 1992.
Kulinarya: A Guidebook to Philippine Cuisine. Anvil Publishing Inc., 2013.
Newman, Yasmin. 7000 Islands: A Food Portrait of the Philippines. Hardie Grant
Books, 2013.
Quioc, Mary Ann and Tayag, Claude. Linamnam: Eating One’s Way Around the
Philippines. Anvil Publishing Inc., 2012.
Rodell, Paul A. Culture and Customs of the Philippines. Greenwood Press, 2002.
Sta. Maria, Felice Prudente. The Governor-General’s Kitchen: Philippine Culinary

Vignettes and Period Recipes 1521-1935. Anvil Publishing Co., 2006.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Angelo Comsti is a foodie. His tasty words

have made it to television, radio and various
periodicals, both print and digital. He also
doubles as a food and prop stylist, having
produced delicious works for magazines,
TV and print ads, billboards, restaurant
menus and cookbooks.
He finished professional culinary studies at Le

Cordon Bleu in Sydney, Australia. He authored
the bestselling cookbooks Home-made for the
Holidays and From Our Table To Yours.
He currently lives in Manila, Philippines.
156

The Filipino Family Cookbook Recipes and Stories From Our Home Kitchen 9789814561426

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

You might also like

The Filipino Family Cookbook Recipes and Stories From Our Home Kitchen 9789814561426

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Filipino Family Cookbook Recipes and Stories From Our Home Kitchen 9789814561426

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

The

00 Prelims p1-13.indd 1 28/8/14 9:07 AM

Copyright © 2014 Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited

Published by Marshall Cavendish Cuisine

Other Marshall Cavendish Offices:

Marshall Cavendish is a trademark of Times Publishing Limited

National Library Board, Singapore Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

Comsti, Angelo, author.

1. Cooking, Philippine. 2. Formulas, recipes, etc. – Philippine I. Title

Printed in Singapore by Craft Print International Ltd

00 Prelims p1-13.indd 2 28/8/14 9:07 AM

And my country, which provides me an endless feast.

00 Prelims p1-13.indd 3 28/8/14 9:07 AM

00 Prelims p1-13.indd 4 28/8/14 9:07 AM

00 Prelims p1-13.indd 5 28/8/14 9:07 AM

00 Prelims p1-13.indd 7 28/8/14 9:07 AM

Bestselling cookbook Eliza Antonino is a founder Chona Ayson owns

Kathlyn Ong-Cham runs Kalel Chan is the The author’s sister-in-law

00 Prelims p001-013.indd 8 5/9/14 9:56 AM

00 Prelims p1-13.indd 9 28/8/14 9:07 AM

From a kitchen hand Gino Gonzalez is a chef Rafael Jardeleza II

00 Prelims p1-13.indd 10 28/8/14 9:07 AM

00 Prelims p001-013.indd 11 5/9/14 9:56 AM

Cocoy Ventura is the Lander Vera Perez is a A stay-at-home mom and

00 Prelims p1-13.indd 12 28/8/14 9:07 AM

00 Prelims p1-13.indd 13 28/8/14 9:07 AM

01 Soup,Veg,Poultry p014-067.indd 15 28/8/14 9:08 AM

16 Soups, Rice and Noodles

01 Soup,Veg,Poultry p014-067.indd 16 28/8/14 9:08 AM

Serves 4 to 5 In a large bowl, combine minced pork, fish sauce and

18 Soups, Rice and Noodles

01 Soup,Veg,Poultry p014-067.indd 18 28/8/14 9:08 AM

20 Soups, Rice and Noodles

01 Soup,Veg,Poultry p014-067.indd 20 28/8/14 9:09 AM

Serves 8 to 10 Prepare flan. In a bowl, combine egg yolks, whole egg,

22 Soups, Rice and Noodles

01 Soup,Veg,Poultry p014-067.indd 22 28/8/14 9:09 AM

Serves 4 to 5 Reconstitute dried shrimps in 1 cup hot water. Reserve liquid.

24 Soups, Rice and Noodles

01 Soup,Veg,Poultry p014-067.indd 24 28/8/14 9:09 AM

26 Soups, Rice and Noodles

01 Soup,Veg,Poultry p014-067.indd 26 5/9/14 10:36 AM

28 Soups, Rice and Noodles

01 Soup,Veg,Poultry p014-067.indd 28 28/8/14 9:09 AM

30 Soups, Rice and Noodles

01 Soup,Veg,Poultry p014-067.indd 30 28/8/14 9:09 AM

Spanish Tomato Sauce 34

01 Soup,Veg,Poultry p014-067.indd 33 28/8/14 9:09 AM

01 Soup,Veg,Poultry p014-067.indd 34 5/9/14 10:23 AM

01 Soup,Veg,Poultry p014-067.indd 36 28/8/14 9:09 AM

01 Soup,Veg,Poultry p014-067.indd 38 28/8/14 9:09 AM

01 Soup,Veg,Poultry p014-067.indd 40 28/8/14 9:09 AM

01 Soup,Veg,Poultry p014-067.indd 42 28/8/14 9:09 AM

01 Soup,Veg,Poultry p014-067.indd 44 28/8/14 9:09 AM

01 Soup,Veg,Poultry p014-067.indd 45 28/8/14 9:09 AM

01 Soup,Veg,Poultry p014-067.indd 47 28/8/14 9:09 AM

Serves 4 In a small bowl, combine salt, soy sauce, cornstarch and

01 Soup,Veg,Poultry p014-067.indd 48 28/8/14 9:09 AM

01 Soup,Veg,Poultry p014-067.indd 50 28/8/14 9:10 AM