Cookbook

Cookbook now out!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books a Million | Indie Bound | Target | Walmart

In early 2017, I was approached by PageStreet Publishing to work on a cookbook. At first, I was a little bit hesitant because I knew it would require a lot of time and hard work. Working a full time job, running this blog and taking care of my family was already a lot for me to deal with. However, people around me, especially my children were able to convince me to do it. I realized that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and that I might regret not doing it later. I decided it was worth the hard work!

Kare-kare (Oxtail with Vegetables in Peanut Sauce) – Quintessential Filipino Cooking

The first step was coming up with a concept for the cookbook. I thought about my past experiences and what I thought people would be interested in. I knew that a Filipino cookbook that contained modern and classic recipes would be a good idea. With the help of my son, we were able to come up with a list of 75 recipes.

The next step was to develop and test the recipes. Some recipes were easy to test but there were some that required a couple of tries to get just right. My family was a big help throughout this process. They helped with cutting the ingredients, cleaning up the mess and taste testing all of the recipes.

During this time, I was able to take a break. I went back to the Philippines to be part of my mom’s 90^th birthday. While I was in the Philippines, I was able to talk to some people who have a broad knowledge of authentic Filipino food. I was glad to talk to these people because I was able to use their advice in the cookbook. I also have a good friend here in Vancouver who provided great advice. He was a big help in creating some of the more complicated recipes.

With the support of my family and some of my friends, I was able to finish testing and developing the 75 recipes. I was really happy with the variety of recipes I was able to come up with. Some traditional recipes like binagoongan (pork with shrimp paste) was given a modern twist by making the pork crispy. I was able to incorporate modern and trending recipes such as Squid Sisig. Finally, I was able to add dishes from my own childhood, which I learned to cook from my mom.

Squid Sisig – Quintessential Filipino Cooking

I am so proud of how the cookbook turned out. The recipes were meticulously created and the photos are awesome and mouth-watering. The cookbook is a product of hard work, collaborations and love. I am thankful to all the people who made this book possible.