Memories of Philippine Kitchens

By JULIETTE ROSSANT The ten stunning photographs by Neal Oshima on the cover of Memories of Philippine Kitchens (Stewart, Tabori & Chang 2006) might sound like too much. That is the point of this expansive, personal book. Filipino cuisine is varied and rich likes the islands of the Philippines. Filipino cookery is influences by China, Spain, Mexico, America, native ingredients and techniques, and the families who keep recipes alive. The authors, husband and wife team, Amy Besa and Romy Dorottan own Cendrillon Restaurant in New York's SoHo, a mecca for truly inspired Filipino cuisine. The cookbook they wrote is not the standard restaurant cookbook – but a real investigation into Filipino cooking in context - historical, economic and cultural. Amy writes of the goals of their book in her introduction, "You Can Go Home Again": Why did we eat these foods? Where did we get these ingredients and cooking methods that shape our food preferences today? What is authentic and what is borrowed? (p. 7) There is also a foreword by Peter Kaminsky and an introduction by Raymond Sokolov. Amy remembers her grandmother, Nanay in Iba where she stayed summers when she was little. The local baker's old oven produced a pan de sal that is elusive today. Within the crunchy crust was a moist, chewy bread, best eaten hot with melting fresh butter. That was my first inkling of the power of food, and that particular pan de sal is my Holy Grail. Romy's recipe for Ube Pan de Sal (p. 22-23) adds a twist of purple yam or ube flour. The photo on p. 23 is a sandwich of crispy adobo flakes , tomato and mayonnaise. It looks tempting. Much of the book is a travel and food log or a postcard, as Amy visits a family and records the food of each region of the Philippines. The chapter on Bicol: The Heart of Coconut Country (p. 143) begins with photographs of Lake Bulusan and coconuts at different stages, from mature to making burnt coconut cream. She recounts her visit to a famous potter, Ugo Bigyan. There in one of his gazebos caressed by some northerly breeze, he lays out a lunch that is simply delicious: appetizers of clam soup, side dishes of banana hearts, bathed in burnt coconut cream, grilled tilapia wrapped in banana leaves, lechon kawali, and local fruits of lanzones and bananas. (p. 145) The recipes include Crabs in Coconut Milk, Banana Hearts in Coconut Milk, and Perwinkles in Coconut Milk (p. 147-148). Many of the ingredients in the book are familiar but cooked in an entirely new way (like burnt coconut) or unfamiliar to most who do not know Filipino food. Amy lists sources for food products at the back of the book following a glossary (p. 222) and a list of further reading. This book will entice you to try their restaurant, and plan a trip to the Philippines. Book details: Cendrillon [PDF format] Publisher Amazon.com Previous articles: Thanksgiving: Bush Thankful for White House Chef Cris Comerford: 2005 Top Food Stories Bush Family Cookbook [Cookbook Reviews - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, cookbooks, Cookbook Reviews --> back to Super Chef