What’s all the fuss about Filipino food? Anthony Bourdain declared that it’s the next best thing. Andrew Zimmern, who dubbed it as such years ago, sticks to his guns and affirms that it’s going to get more and more popular. Pulitzer-awardee restaurant critic Jonathan Gold proclaimed that now is the time for Filipino food. But what exactly is Filipino food? The cuisine, mashed up by a myriad of foreign influences and as diverse as the 7,000+ islands of the Philippine archipelago, is difficult to define even by those who know it, and difficult to understand even by those who are curious. THE NEW FILIPINO KITCHEN through the personal narratives and recipes of migrant Filipinos around the world, including the White House Executive Chef Cris Comerford, feeds you with an experience of what Filipino food is truly all about.
A Sunshot Prose Prize 2017 Top Finalist Winner, this unprecedented collection of 30 stories and recipes will soothe your soul and stir your senses. Part memoirs, part cookbook, think of it as a migrant Filipino food Chicken Soup for the Soul with recipes. As each dish reflects the author’s journey, you’ll find traditional dishes, such as: vinegar and citrus-cured fish with coconut milk and green mango Kinilaw, stir-fried Pansit bihon with shrimp and Adobo, oxtail stew in thick peanut sauce Kare-Kare, sweet chocolate porridge Champorado, etc. And lesser traditional fare, such as—Adobo stuffed in rice balls, sour and savory seafood Sinigang seasoned with gremolata, grilled banana-leaf-wrapped fish, eggplant ensalada with toasted pancetta and vanilla rice with toasted sesame seeds, cassava cake with candied pecans and honey-roasted apples, and more.
Though each piece recounts a unique, deeply personal experience, all speaks of truths that are universal: hunger, identity, courage, hope and love.
Slated for release from Agate Surrey Publishing in September 2018.
Editorial Reviews:
Received positive reviews from all three trade publications: Book List starred review, Publishers Weekly, and Library Journal.
Early Praise:
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“An engrossing, page-turner of a cookbook. If you can even call it a cookbook—it’s more of a short story collection with delicious, addictive recipes. You can find everything that makes food so special: the connection between family and the dinner table, tradition and innovation, and preserving cultural identity in a world that’s increasingly homogenized. Itmakes me hungry.”—Brian McGinn, Emmy-nominated director and executive producer, Chef’s Table
“Here are stories to open your heart and engage your senses. The writers’ stories and recipes reflect their talents and triumphs, both in life and in the kitchen. Each is beautifully written for anyone who loves a good tale and good food. ” —Dianne Jacob, author, Will Write for Food
"What a great idea this book is...a way for all of us to connect to Filipino culinary culture through thoughtful and often very moving stories and enticing recipes created by Filipinos living and working in many places in the world from the USA to Norway and Dubai. From purple yam (ube) ice cream to Pancit to that essential Filipino dish Adobo, here's a collection of heart-connections to the cooks and kitchens of the Philippines. The book is a wonderful multi-layered answer to the question "what is Filipino food?" and an invitation to everyone to get cooking."—Naomi Duguid, author of 7 James Beard and IACP award-winning cookbooks
“This anthology of recipes and stories by migrant Filipinos spread around the world, no matter how disparate their circumstances may be, all share the universal longing of connecting with ones roots through food. On another level, it also shows us how robust Filipino cuisine is, with all its cross-cultural exchanges simmering through the centuries. The book is indeed filled with not only mouth-watering recipes, but also with so much heartwarming stories. It is cooking from the heart. Ultimately, that while food fills the stomach, it’s the stories that nourish the soul. I must hasten to add, though, “Ang pagkaing walang kuwento, walang kuwenta.”(Food without a story has not much value.) This book is spot on.” -- Claude Tayag - Artist, food writer, handy chef, TV host Chasing Flavors
“I love this book! I want to meet every person in it! I want to make every dish by every person in it! For years I have been searching for the recipe for Pansit that would perfectly replicate the dish a Filipino nurse prepared for special occasions when I worked in a New Jersey hospital eons ago. And here it is, in Chapter 5, in all its stir-fried splendor! Thank you, Jacqueline Lauri, for bringing between two covers these deliciously exotic recipes and, of equal measure, the engaging and heartfelt stories that accompany them.”--Ina Yalof, author, Food and the City: New York's Professional Chefs, Restaurateurs, Line Cooks, Street Vendors, and Purveyors Talk About What They Do and Why They Do It
“This wonderful collection illustrates the depth and complexity of a fascinating culture and people. The journeys of the authors remind me somewhat of my own—how life’s travels and experiences add together to make a great culinary showcase for a rich and complicated cuisine. Jacqueline has gathered an amazing anthology of dishes that will suit any occasion and certainly have your guests cheering.”—Cathal Armstrong, award-winning chef, restaurateur, author of My Irish Table
“A moving and mouth-watering tribute to one of today's most popular cuisines.” —Alexis Williams Carr, Editor and Publisher, New Millennium Writings
“THE NEW FILIPINO KITCHEN features delicious words and tempting, exotic dishes. You'll devour the stories and the recipes as Jacqueline Lauri defines and even redefines Filipino cuisine. This must-have cookbook combines reminiscences and recipes that open new ways of preparing foods, helping us set our tables for family and friends with unique and flavorful creations.” -- Matilda Butler, editor of anthologies, including Memories Sweet and Savory, the 9-time award-winning Seasons of Our Lives, and others
“The memories and voices that make up The New Filipino Kitchen are as varied as the Philippine islands themselves, but the common thread is, of course, food. You don't have to be Filipino to appreciate what these writers discover about their native cuisine and, in turn, themselves. Their stories and recipes show us that home truly is where you make it—and what you cook when you land.”—Janet Rausa Fuller, two-time James Beard Journalism Award finalist, freelance journalist, former Chicago Sun-Times food editor
“Brilliant! I loved hearing the writers’ different voices and writing styles, all with unique and very personal takes on recipes and ingredients. Chio-Lauri has captured the diversity of the country and cuisine in an elegant, visually beautiful, yet relaxed style. Bravo!” —Chris Dwyer, food and luxury travel writer for CNN, BBC, and other global media
Named a Best Cookbook of the Year by The San Francisco Chronicle
“A wonderful multilayered answer to the question ‘What is Filipino food?’ and an invitation to everyone to get cooking.” —Naomi Duguid, author of James Beard Award–winning Taste of Persia