Not only do the authors give us a great selection of recipes and heartfelt, firsthand stories of their Philippine families, friends, and sources, the book is organized in exactly the right way to best refresh my memories of this cuisine and introduce the cuisine to people who may have not yet experienced it. … The Spanish influence is also felt in the Filipino love of canned meats such as Vienna sausages and corned beef and custards such as the Spanish caramelized flans plus Spanish paellas They even go so far as to discuss the rather unfortunate influence of American culture on Philippine cuisine, which is all to heavily weighted toward the `fast food nation’ end of the spectrum, just as we Yankee homies are weaning ourselves away from slavish adulation of the golden arches. … In providing the book’s narrative, Amy Besa (who Peter Kaminsky has called “the heart and the soul of New York’s Asian food community”) traces the history of this Filipino home cooking, from native dishes (“Food That Was Always Ours”) to dishes that show the influence of the Chinese, the Spanish and Mexicans, and the Americans (“Food that Was Borrowed and Made Our Own”), with her recollections of growing up in the Philippines interspersed throughout.
Memories of Philippine Kitchens
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Topics: Awesome Festivals
