"This beautiful book is filled with stories and recipes from the heart, that are good for your heart too. It is a moving and meaningful showcase of how delicious and healthful Filipino food can be." --Ellie Krieger, RD, Food Network and PBS show host, and James Beard Foundation award winning cookbook author. Kumain ka na? (Have you eaten yet?) is the greeting used by Filipinos whenever they meet. This book presents the extraordinary food culture of the Philippines in stories and recipes from 36 culinary trailblazers--award-winning chefs, food writers and social media stars from around the globe--including the winner of the 2023 James Beard Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker Award--Margarita Manzke. They share with us not just their favorite recipes for classic Philippine dishes like adobo, sinigang and ginataan, but also their personal family stories about what Filipino food and food culture mean to them. Here are just a few of the fascinating stories and recipes found in this book:
Award-winning writer, blogger and podcaster Liren Baker explains how family recipes were passed down to her by her Tita Leah and presents her favorite recipe for "Pancit Bihon Guisado" (vegetarian stir-fried rice noodles) James Beard finalist Carlo Lamagna, chef-owner of Magna Kusina in Portland, Oregon, tells us how culture shock turns into culinary adventure whenever he goes to the Philippines, and shares his healthy take on street-food favorite "Tokneneng" (orange-coated egg) Michelin Star awardee chef Roger Asakil Joya finds a place truly deserving of the much-coveted star and suggests a clean, light, and delicate recipe for sinigang (sour and savory soup) as a prelude to a meal Amormia Orino moved to Atlanta in 2018 and started hosting Kamayan (communal feasts)--she shares a heart-wrenching story about her aging mother and her unforgettable recipe for "Ginataang Alimasag" (coconut-stewed crabs) Grace Guinto, chief baking officer of Sweet Cora, a catering business that adds Filipino flavors to local Aussie sweet treats, talks of the recipes her mother left her as "love notes from the heavens" and gives us a summery recipe for the classic "Food for the Gods" (no-bake date and walnut balls) Helen Orimaco-Pumatong, chef-instructor at Vancouver Community College, recounts how a trip back to the Philippines for her grandmother's funeral led to unexpected happiness, and shares her aromatic and healthy version of "Ensaladang Mangga at Hipon" (mango and calamansi-poached prawn s