The New Filipino Kitchen, a new cookbook from Agate Publishing, is more than your typical culinary book; it’s full of stories to complement the recipes inside. The collection includes recipes and anecdotes by expat Filipino chefs, home cooks, and writers, all curated by Jacqueline Chio-Lauri.
It’s the perfect book for the holiday season, whether you’re the cook and want to make a Filipino feast, simple meal, or to gift a friend. Filipino food isn’t just from one culture, it combines influences from Chinese to Spanish to Southeast Asian to American. It’s on-trend and is a popular and growing cuisine.
Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of dining on Filipino food at friends’ homes, have a few favorites, and thought the cookbook’s premise to be intriguing. I enjoyed reading the different stories with each dish, and I picked out a recipe to show how simple and delicious the food can be.
Of course, there are more traditional recipes, and some need special ingredients found at Asian markets, but there are recipes included which use simple ingredients found at any local grocery store to help you enjoy the taste of Filipino food.
I chose the Sous Vide Fried Chicken Breasts recipe. I don’t have a sous vide pot, but I knew I could improvise and quickly poach the chicken in an instant pressure cooker with seasoning, which would keep the chicken moist and infused with flavor. After that, I followed the recipe and had no problems.
It was delicious and reminded me of a dish I had had at a friend’s home. I served it with jasmine rice and steamed veggies. Rice is a traditional accompaniment in Filipino food.
The story behind the contributor’s recipe was heartfelt and hearkened back to a childhood memory of a packed school lunch. Allen Pineda later created the sous vide fried chicken recipe as an adult.
According to Jacqueline Chio-Lauri, a common greeting in the Philippines is, “Kumain ka na?” “Have you eaten?” Food is shared and guests are invited to eat. The book reads like an homage to her native homeland of the Philippines. A graduate of the University of the Philippines, she has worked all over the world, has written about Filipino food, and currently resides in the UK. Her three tips for cooking Filipino food: Don’t be daunted, Don’t fret, and Cook more than you need.
If you’re looking to try a new cuisine or in need of a gift idea, The New Filipino Kitchen is the perfect cookbook with easy to read recipes accompanied with great stories. The New Filipino Kitchen is available for sale on Amazon.
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