Expect the Unexpected from Filipinx

You might call this a cookbook for the bold and adventurous, Filipinx, Heritage Recipes from the Diaspora, by Angela Dimayuga and Ligaya Mishan.  What do I say?  The book beats definition!  Not strictly cuisine from the Philippines, but a second generation update and amalgamation.  I want to try too many of those recipes in the library time remaining, with no renewal possible, so in a fit of let's go for it, another purchase!  Just couldn't resist.

I won't be adding pork blood to the fridge or attempting to make my own fermented shrimp paste, but still... I do want to try the Spicy Banana Ketchup, the green papaya table pickle and many other of her interesting concoctions, particularly the many enticingly unique (if you're not Asian) desserts, drinks, and condiments.

From the Publishers:
"In her debut cookbook, acclaimed chef Angela Dimayuga shares her passion for Filipino food with home cooks.

Filipinx offers 100 deeply personal recipes—many of them dishes that define home for Angela Dimayuga and the more than four million people of Filipino descent in the United States. The book tells the story of how Dimayuga grew up in an immigrant family in northern California, trained in restaurant kitchens in New York City—learning to make everything from bistro fare to Asian-American cuisine—then returned to her roots, discovering in her family’s home cooking the same intense attention to detail and technique she’d found in fine dining."

Tuna Veggie Pancit

My current house guest and friend doesn't consider herself in any way a cook. She is single, travels a lot on missions all over the world, and has no real permanent kitchen.  I pressed her into making a traditional dish from her home - the Philippines - just because I knew she could do it and I wanted something from there.  And guess what? - It was totally excellent, so flavorful and authentic!  Here is Olga at work: