April is a month full of celebrations. We have April Fool’s Day, National Literature Month, and even Easter Sunday. But not a lot of people know that we also honor Filipino Food during this month.
Growing up, I have always loved Filipino food, especially the taste of home cooked meals. I have learned to appreciate it more when I had to move away from my home to study.
For sure a lot of us–not just me–feel nostalgic when we think of the traditional food our parents used to cook for us, which is why we curated a list of books you can buy to recreate these meals.
In case you are having a hard time thinking of what to cook, here are the books that can help you:
1. Mmm…Wow Sarap ng Luto ni Nanay by Maria Salud de los Reyes
– This cookbook will help you reminisce about the good old days through classic home cooked meals.
2. Goldilocks Bakebook: Favorite Recipes from the Philippines’ Best-Loved Bakeshop
– Goldilocks is basically our childhood and what better way to go back to those days by learning how to cook the goodies from Goldilocks.
3. Bagong Cookbook ng mga Putahe at Kakaning Pilipino by Maria Satnos Luna, Arsenia A. Ibita
– If you want to try new Filipino food recipes, then this cookbook is for you. Explore new flavors and satisfy your taste buds from these home cooked meals with a twist.
4. Looking Back 14: Dirty Ice Cream by Ambeth R. Ocampo
– “A history of food is fascinating not so much because of the scents, colors, and flavors of food but the way in which food shapes people and how people shape the food they eat… A history of ice cream in the Philippines is not just a catalog of taste but an alternative way of looking at how Filipinos have changed to become the nation we want to be.” – From the lead essay A History of “Dirty Ice Cream”
Food is another form of bond that connects us to each other. We can always celebrate our love for Filipino food even when it’s not the month of April.
May this month be a reminder for us to reconnect with our roots and appreciate the amazing culture we have that can be seen–and tasted–through cuisine.
By: Ella Lorraine Regudo – BookSpine Intern