Hi, I am Chef Zara. In this post, I will guide you through Filipino cookbooks and Filipino Cook book.
I love discovering new food and cooking with friends and family. One of the most common questions that I often get is for cookbook recommendations. I have created this guide for friends, family, and new friends alike. I hope that you enjoy our site.
Republic of the Philippines, an archipelagic in Southeast Asian
Filipino food is much more than you might think. For centuries, its ingredients have been gifted by the many countries that have, at one time or another, called this Island in the South Pacific their home. With such a wealth of influence, Filipino food might be one of the most diverse in the culinary world, with its own distinct food culture.
Filipino cuisine may be one of the most underrated in the culinary universe. In reality, with influences from China, Spain, India, Japan, and even the Americas, this food from a tiny island in the South Pacific is one of the most exciting and flavorful of any in the world.
We’ve created a list of the 10 Filipino Cookbooks you didn’t know you needed!
1. The Easy Filipino Cookbook: 100 Classics Made Simple
Why We Love It ❤️
Roline Casper does an excellent job at not only presenting this Filipino cookbook, she breaks down the many influences that go into these beautiful modern Filipino recipes. She does so by taking a particular country that once occupied the region and then detailing the dishes created by that country and culture.
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Roline Casper has gone above and beyond to create a very detailed and comprehensive Filipino cookbook. She defines and discusses the cooking techniques used in Filipino cooking, including boiling, frying, grilling, sauteing, and steaming. She even goes as far as to provide specific dishes for each technique. Roline covers not only the ingredients list commonly used in this South Pacific cuisine but also includes specific details to properly store said ingredients for the best preservation possible, something you do not see much in cookbooks. The recipes are concise and easy to follow, with ample instructions and tips for the perfect dish.
2. Amboy
Why We Love It ❤️
Alvin, Alvin, Alvin! Alvin Cailan is the heart and soul of this book. His boundless energy and love for everything Filipino culture, specifically cuisine, comes through in his first Filipino cookbook!
Review 📖
From the energetic cover photo of chef Alvin Cailan, you get the sense that this is a very cool and fun Filipino cookbook. You might be familiar with Alvin from his famous “Eggslut” restaurants and his large presence on YouTube, where his culinary expertise pulls in millions of views regularly. Alvin recruits both of his parents to provide their knowledge of authentic Filipino cooking styles and techniques, which shows that Alvin is very in touch with his Filipino heritage, specifically the importance his culture places on his family. His recipes include all that you need to create a wonderful Filipino dish.
3. Quintessential Filipino Cooking
Why We Love It ❤️
The recipes are not intimidating, and the photos bring these incredible Filipino dishes to life.
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Liza Agbanlog started out with a simple traditional Filipino food blog as a way to connect with the Filipino community in Canada, but little did she realize that her efforts would take on a life of their own and blossom into a complete Filipino cookbook! Liza’s recipes are concise and correct to the point; here are the ingredients, here are the instructions, and now let’s get cooking. She also includes little tidbits on the proper use, and sometimes exclusion, of ingredients that one might think would be automatic. According to Liza, soy sauce is not a given but rather used more as a way to add that salty flavor, so she recommends leaving it out in favor of just using salt itself, as this will change the completion of the dish overall.
4. The New Filipino Kitchen
Why We Love It ❤️
While we love the recipes, they are made much more from the wonderfully told stories accompanying them. Food is always that much more satisfying when you understand the history behind it.
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Jacqueline Chio-Lauri’s story is one of exploration and achievement. She has opened restaurants and been a feature of major food publications. She is also open in her journey to make it as a single woman in a couple’s society. Jacqueline’s Filipino cookbook provides so much more than tasty recipes; the first 19 pages alone are filled with a wealth of knowledge about Filipino history and culture. Jacqueline introduces ingredients specific to Filipino cuisine, such as Bagoon Alamang (fermented shrimp paste), Ampalaya (Bitter Melon), and Chorizo de Bilbao (dense, semi-dry spicy sausage), to provide the reader an introduction to the uniqueness of this food. The chapters include seafood, poultry, meats, and noodles, just to name a few, and the photos are simply extraordinary!
5. Ay Sus!
Why We Love It ❤️
It’s great that Claudia Martinez has come out with a Filipino cookbook geared to those who may either have specific dietary restrictions or possess philosophical beliefs about eating meat or fish, ingredients that make up a very large portion of the standard Filipino cuisine.
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“Ay Sus” is a Filipino cookbook with a different take on Filipino food; specifically speaking, it relies on plant-based ingredients; this is something to be celebrated in the Filipino vegan and vegetarian communities. And don’t be fooled; just because these recipes are all “plant-based” does not mean that you must sacrifice the incredible taste and texture that you are so accustomed to in traditional meat-based Filipino cuisine. Claudia has drawn on her wealth of knowledge and experience in plant-based diets and traditional Filipino cuisine. She has created a masterpiece of recipes that will make you question if you are truly eating a plant-based dish in the first place.
6. Pulutan!
Why We Love It ❤️
What could be better than a recipe for grilled bacon skewers and pineapple glaze to go along with an iced -beer on a Friday night? The cover photo of the skewers, wings, and sliced guacamole is enough to make your mouth water!
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Ah, comfort food! We love ourselves some comfort food, and in his new Filipino cookbook, Pulutan! Filipino Bar Bites, Appetizers, and Street Eats, Marvin Gapultos delivers a host of recipes designed to take the stress out of your life. Marvin’s selection of Pulutan, Filipino bar snacks, includes everything from Grilled Coconut and lemon grass shrimp to Fried Green Mangoes. And, of course, don’t forget the Spicy Sizzling Squid. What makes things even more interesting is that Gapultos is also a certified Cicerone and craft beer maker, and he takes advantage of his wealth of knowledge to pair up just the right beer with each recipe.
7. The Philippine Cookbook
Why We Love It ❤️
If you are looking for a truly authentic Filipino cookbook, look no further. This book by Reynaldo Alejandro is barebones in its presentation because it is only concerned with providing the reader with the most basic and incredibly authentic version of every classic Filipino recipe known to man.
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Not only does Reynaldo provide recipes for the great Filipino classics, but he also discusses the necessity of certain ingredients based on the requirements of living in a warm, tropical environment. He also talks about certain cultural expectations of the Filipino food experience, such as serving everything at once rather than in staggered courses, and he instructs on the need to include flavors that run the gamut of bitter, sour, salty, fishy, and meaty. This is the kind of care and detail that one would expect from an author who is dedicated to the craft of Filipino cooking.
8. I Am a Filipino
Why We Love It ❤️
Nicole Ponseca & Miguel Trinidad create A Filipino cookbook that provides yet another journey beyond just Filipino food and into the richness of Filipino history and culture. But make no mistake about it, the best recipes are there, waiting to be prepared.
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If you know anything about the Philippines, it is a country that has gone through many an occupation by foreign interlopers. However, there is a bright spot in the sense that the many cultures that have occupied this tiny island have left a little piece of their culinary influence behind. This means that the Filipino cuisine we see today is full of Spanish (tomatoes and tamales), Chinese (Noodles and dumplings), Indian, Japanese, and even Arab (Spice and burnt coconut) influences. Nicole Ponseca & Miguel Trinidad have made this their focus in educating the reader about not only the ingredients and preparation of these recipes but just how rich and diverse they are, thanks to the many occupants of the Philippine islands.
9. How to Cook Philippine Desserts
Why We Love It ❤️
Elizabeth Ann Besa-Quirino has drawn on her years as an award-winning journalist, author, and recipe developer for her blog, Asian In America, to put together a Filipino cookbook that includes the best in sweet delights.
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These baked goods are so much better because they were developed by someone who longed for her homeland and the unique deserts she grew up on. Her desire to enjoy these unique Filipino treats that were a part of her childhood has now been made available here for the world to enjoy! The recipes include everything from Bibingka (a coconut sweet) to Putong Puti with Cheese to Tocino del Cielo. Elizabeth Ann also shares her interpretation of Ube Cupcakes, doughnuts, Mamon, and even Caramel Cake. The recipes are easy to read, with an ingredients list, preparation instructions, and magnificent photos!
10. Filipino Homestyle Dishes
Why We Love It ❤️
Norma Olizon-Chikiamco has put together a Filipino cookbook that makes you feel as if you are learning all the secrets that make Filipino cuisine so special. This Filipino cookbook also comes in a spiral-bound version which is perfect when you need to have the recipe at your fingertips during the cooking process.
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Norma Olizon-Chikiamco’s Filipino cookbook is a nice option if you are looking for an intelligent map of incredibly diverse, authentic, and delicious recipes. Norma leaves no stone unturned in her effort to educate and inform the reader about what makes up tasty authentic Filipino dishes. She covers the standard ingredients used in Filipino cuisine. She reviews everything from the basic dips and condiments up to the entries consisting of meats, seafood, noodles, and vegetables. Each recipe is presented clearly and concisely so that it will not make the reader feel overwhelmed and able to create authentic Filipino food. You can find Filipino Instant Pot food in plant-based dishes.
