Kulawong Talong: grilled eggplant with burnt coconut cream

Let me share this unique recipe from Filipino food advocate, author and restaurateur Amy Besa at The Maya Kitchen cooking demo. Amy Besa relates the origins of Kulawong Talong. “My first introduction to the concept of a kulawo was in 2003, when I visited Ugu Bigyan’s home and pottery studio in Tiaong, Quezon. Visitors couldRead More

Chicken Adobo in Coconut Cream

Chicken Adobo in Coconut cream is my favorite adobo of all time. This is also called “Adobong manok sa gata” It’s actually a comfort food, a childhood memory. The dish origins come from the Visayas but I read some sources say it is from the Southern Tagalog. Sadly, I don’t often cook this because twoRead More

Chicken Halang-halang: A Visayan staple of chicken with coconut milk and turmeric.

Growing up in Cebu, Halang-halang is a Visayan dish my mother prepared as part of our regular menu. For Tagalogs, the halang halang tastes similar to a Chicken Tinola but the difference is coconut milk is added and the broth is reduced to a sauce consistency. Halang means spicy so expect this recipe to beRead More

Laing Pasta, the Pinoy Pasta Version

I never tasted Laing Pasta until I had it at Goldilocks. I thought it was such a novel idea, similar to the pesto pasta that we often prepare at home. It is our own version of pinoy pasta. When I tasted it though, it wasn’t that delicious as I imagined it to be. I thinkRead More

Adobong Manok sa Gata

This boneless chicken cooked adobo style with coconut milk is my favorite adobo of all time. Yes, there are a 100 ways to cook adobo and this is one variation that reminds me of my childhood. Alessandra Romulo Squillantini, granddaughter of the late statesman Carlos P. Romulo and her husband Enzo Squillantini graciously this recipeRead More

Binignit, the Cebuano version of the Ginataan

In my Cebu hometown, Binignit is “traditionally eaten as a snack on Good Friday: Binignit originated from Cebu province. Binignit is a warm root crop and fruit stew consisting of a thick mixture of tubers such as taro, purple yam, sweet potato, as well as bananas, jackfruit, sago, tapioca pearls and sugar, cooked in coconutRead More