Food books: Angelo Comsti's Filipino recipe collections

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By Angelo Comsti

A Filipino friend of mine gave me a copy of The Filipino Family Cookbook and I liked it enough (despite the unappetising photos) that when I spotted From Our Table to Yours, I bought the older book by the same author.

Filipino food, my friend and I agreed, has a bad reputation; many people think it boils down to using just a few seasonings, namely vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. But my friend knows, from growing up in the Philippines, and I know, from cooking professionally with Filipino chefs, that the cuisine has many influences - Spanish, American and Chinese - and can be varied and delicious.

The recipes in both books come from contributors, most of whom are culinary professionals. The recipes are quite easy and home-style, and for some, short cuts, such as stock cubes, are used. Of course, there are several recipes for the one dish that almost everyone associates with Filipino food - adobo. Other dishes include milkfish braised with fermented soybeans and ginger; roast pig congee; oxtail and trotter stew; stuffed milkfish; chicken in Chinese wine and black sesame oil; crabs in coconut sauce with guava; ox tongue asado; and lime caramel custard.

Susan Jung