And ah, don’t forget about the food. The breakfast meals, the merienda, and the desserts mentioned are all part of my childhood. Just reading the descriptions of the dishes makes me hungry. So it’s really a boon that the author put the recipes at the back of each book. Speaking of which, Blackmail and Bibingka, the third from the series, came out last week, and as usual, there are recipes included there. All the recipes in the books, however, are not enough — just an appetizer to the main course. So here is a list of essential Filipino cookbooks to pick up after devouring Arsenic and Adobo and the rest of the series. If you’re dying to try Lila and Tita Rosie’s mouthwatering dishes, then this is your chance to be able to cook them from your home. And if you’ve been wanting to try Filipino cuisine for a while, here’s your opportunity to do so!
Essential Filipino Cookbooks
If you want to find out more about the Philippines, I’ve written listicles that cover different genres such as these five must-reads of Philippine literature. And if you want more foodie fiction like Arsenic and Adobo, here are 8 Mystery Novels Revolving Around Food. If you’re a sweet tooth like her, this baking cookbook is all you need. Breads, Cakes, Pastries, and More contains recipes of traditional Filipino treats, including three recipes of the popular pandesal, a Filipino breakfast bread roll that regularly makes an appearance during hot meals and murder investigations in the books. There’s a crispy crusty pandesal, pandesal de Baliwag, and home-baked (soft) pandesal. You’ll love them! Philippine Food, Cooking, & Dining Dictionary is an essential reference if you’re getting started with Filipino cuisine. Though it’s not really a cookbook, it has all the terms used in a typical Filipino kitchen. The entries are heavily researched and detailed when it comes to the ingredients used in a particular dish. The author even uncovers many dishes that don’t appear in many Filipino cookbooks. To put it in his words, “it does not serve merely as a reference but it also helps preserve and share Pinoy food culture, traditions, and practices.” “Filipino food is as European as Spanish paella, as American as hotdog, and as Asian as Chinese,” writes the author. Filipino food is east meets west, according to her, and that statement reflects in these traditional breakfast meals. Some recipes in here include longganisa, beef tapa, tuyo, ensaimada, and so much more. The Expat Kitchen is written for the Filipino diaspora in mind. It’s the perfect cookbook for kababayans who miss food at home. In The Little Adobo Book, the author lists different ways in which to cook adobo — correctly and authentically. There’s the basic adobo, adobong bibe, chicken pork adobo, adobong kangkong, and a lot more specific variations. It’s a handy little cookbook for Philippine adobo lovers, and for anyone who wants to get it right (as they should). If you only want one Filipino cookbook that covers many types of dishes, then this is it. In Baking Secrets, you can find recipes of traditional Filipino breads such as pandesal and ensaymada, and desserts such as maja blanca, bibingka cassava (Blackmail and Bibingka’s title comes from this), ube, and other treats. It has a different set of recipes from the aforementioned cookbooks, so it’s a welcome addition. In this cookbook, some recipes include Filipino merienda staples like chicken sopas, lumpiang shanghai, ginataang halo-halo, champorado, and others. There are also recipes for the health conscious. Judy Ann’s Kitchen is part cookbook and part memoir, and it has lots of notes and cooking tips from the celebrity-food writer. In it, the author cooks up Filipino recipes for children and offers some advice to appease picky eaters. Most recipes feature Filipino vegetables that include brown rice chicken lugaw (rice porridge), hearty corn and malunggay (horseradish) rice soup, fish cakes with sitaw (string beans), scrambled egg with spinach, and other healthy meals especially prepared for kids. The cookbook also has “no-bake, easy desserts” recipes that includes Banana Ice Cream Burrito and Mango-Ginger Yogurt Parfait — perfect for quick or on-the-go meals.
