SYNOPSIS:
A thorough collection of unfamiliar dishes from different provinces of the Philippines. Angelo Comsti traveled all the way from Batanes at the northern- most tip of the country to down south in Tawi-Tawi to record and immortalize the recipes and stories everyone needs to know.
Much has been written and reported about what celebrity chef and TV host Andrew Zimmern called the next big thing in America—Filipino food. CNN’s Culinary Journeys has featured different kinds of kinilaw, Bon Appetit magazine has done an ode to our humble halo-halo, and the late great Anthony Bourdain proclaimed our roast pig aka lechon to be the best he has ever had. The world has finally come to know our Adobo, Sinigang, and Sisig, but they have barely scratched the surface
“Also Filipino” will introduce people—foreigners and locals alike—to other Filipino dishes. Like Cavite’s Calandracas, which was started in wakes where mourners would bring ingredients to include in a noodle soup they would all partake in. Or Pampanga’s Pulutok, named after the sound the chopped pig’s lungs would make when it cooks in the pan.
The author has traveled to different provinces and knocked on people’s doors for traditional recipes the general public may not be familiar with. Many cookbooks have already featured Bulalo, Kare-Kare, and Kaldereta, but never these dishes that are mostly rooted in the culture and lifestyle of the regions they come from. It’s an impressive compilation that will clearly show the country’s diversity, complexity and wide variety in food.