Exploring Filipino Kitchens Phillip Simmons: Recent Episodes
Nastasha Alli
On today’s show This episode, we're going off the usual path - actually, quite a ways off from my studio in Toronto, back to where it all begins: the Philippines.
We can't really Explore Filipino Kitchens, without going to the motherland, right?
So today, no interviews - just some raw thoughts from my trip, instead - and you'll hear horns rise above the traffic of Manila, tricycles speeding by, the calm of the countryside and the best joke about a caterpillar.
Let's go! Show notes 02:05 A walk through the old walled city 05:15 Why "the middles" matter 11:45 At the Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm 12:35 Growing SEED (The School for Experiential and Entrepreneurial Development) 15:30 Why I love the countryside 18:30 "What song does a centipede hate?" 20:05 Walang iwanan, or no one is left behind 21:50 The stories that get to the heart of me 29:00 A journey to ancestral lands 34:25 Planting black-eyed peas in a nursery in a valley 36:55 The Yangil Tribe 37:50 The importance of a light switch 38:55 On tourism that gives back Links for this episode
Manila For A Day does tours which you should definitely check out. Highly recommended! Visit MAD Travel for information about upcoming trips and the amazing partners they work with, like the super chill Circle Hostel in Zambales. Also follow them on Facebook and Instagram. Check out Where to Next, you will love this feed!
FIND THE FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE. SUBSCRIBE TO EXPLORING FILIPINO KITCHENS ON ITUNES AND SHARE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW!
On today’s show What can we learn from our ancestors' diets?
This month we’re talking with Dr. Ame Garong, researcher at the Archeology Division at the National Museum of the Philippines. In 2013 Dr. Garong published a book called "Ancient Filipino Diet". It's the first study of Filipino food in pre-history - before colonizers or any foreign influence arrived in the Philippines - written to explore and understand the prehistoric diet of our ancestors.
Dr. Garong shares her research with us, including stories about what it's like to literally dig for clues, how to thwart midnight thieves and the importance of getting locals involved with grassroots preservation efforts.
After this interview, I still had so many questions. How can this knowledge of what our ancestors ate, influence our food choices today? How much of this lines up with what we really eat and how our food culture develops globally? Show notes 04:40 What it's like to be a Philippine archeologist 05:55 How her career started 07:30 Early fieldwork 08:00 "An accident happened..." 09:45 How do we find out what our ancestors ate? 11:20 What exactly was in their paleo diet? 14:00 Stuff they've found in archaeological sites 15:00 Batanes and ancient fish 18:10 A giant heap of shell trash in Cagayan Valley 21:30 "Tinapa" mummies in Benguet 22:55 Why Cebuanos love corn 24:40 Challenge #1: Time and thieves 28:10 Challenge #2: On rituals and religion 30:30 Challenge #3: A lack of knowledge and involvement 33:00 What's next?
FIND THE FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE. SUBSCRIBE TO EXPLORING FILIPINO KITCHENS ON ITUNES AND SHARE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW!
On today’s show We’re talking with Francis Ang, the man behind a pop-up dinner series called Pinoy Heritage. Francis has worked in some of San Francisco's best restaurants, including the acclaimed Gary Danko and Fifth Floor. He's been named a west coast "People's Best Pastry Chef" by Food and Wine Magazine and nominated for Zagat's "30 Under 30" list in San Francisco. Pinoy Heritage is a culinary project Francis started with his wife, Dian, following a trip to the Philippines. For the full story of how that led to the most exciting pop-up dinner series I've ever heard of - one that's grounded in Filipino food traditions - you'll have to listen in.
Show notes 03:20 Training at culinary school and in San Francisco's best kitchens 05:00 A life-changing visit to the Philippines 07:05 The seeds of Pinoy Heritage 10:25 Interpreting traditional Filipino dishes 11:30 Personal experience as a source of inspiration 12:50 The "soul" needs to be in it 14:25 Dishes with roots 17:35 On travel plans 22:20 Dishes come from what's local and abundant 26:55 Why you need to go to the Philippines 27:45 A nod to tradition 32:15 Advice for interested cooks 34:20 On Filipino hospitality FIND THE FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE. SUBSCRIBE TO EXPLORING FILIPINO KITCHENS ON ITUNES AND SHARE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW!
On today's show We’re talking with Betty Ann Quirino - an author, recipe developer and prolific blogger at AsianInAmericaMag.com whose thoughts and experiences on cooking has personally helped me develop confidence in my own cooking abilities - to become part of what keeps global Filipino food culture alive. This episode we talk about adapting Filipino recipes for modern kitchens, how our personal histories and experiences shape our relationship with food, and why you just need to pick up some groceries, get in the kitchen and start cooking. Can't promise we won't make you hungry!
Show notes 04:25 "People paid attention to my stories?" 06:10 From writing ad copy to blogging & authoring 07:30 Moving to the US 09:35 Starting the blog 12:20 On food, family and cooking 13:35 Growing up on a farm in the Philippines 19:50 The story of mangoes in a jar 23:50 "Who cares?" 24:50 A lesson learned 28:20 Finding ingredients is a challenge 28:45 3 components to successful recipes 29:30 Substituting traditional Philippine ingredients 32:30 Remember the origins of a dish 34:45 A visit to the Ilocos region 46:25 Food traditions are priceless 48:50 Advice for home cooks Links for this episode
Betty Ann's piece called Holiday Dishes with Ilocano Flavors on PositivelyFilipino.com
FIND THE FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE. SUBSCRIBE TO EXPLORING FILIPINO KITCHENS ON ITUNES AND SHARE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW!
On today’s show This month, we’re talking with Joanne Boston, a founding member of the Filipino Food Movement. Their vision for the success of Filipino food in the American mainstream has and always will be supported and inspired by community - the main theme we’re talking about on today’s show.
Another big thing we’re talking about today is place - San Francisco, California in particular - and the people who live there. We talk about why building community is really about creating experiences that bring people together - and then keeping that momentum going forward, and sustaining it so that people gain a sense of ownership and pride in the places they live in.
This is essential listening for anyone interested in learning about how Filipino food culture has and continues to develop. Show notes 03:55 Project Adobo 04:30 Starting a food blog 10:15 Growing up in San Francisco 15:20 Early days of local food communities 17:45 Looping in chefs 19:55 How the Filipino Food Movement started 21:45 Collaboration over competition 26:40 "We are here!" 29:35 The Filipino food community 30:35 FFM's mission 33:20 Filipino food outside the Philippines will always be different 35:45 3 truths to live by - be inclusive, diverse and personal 39:25 Pride in culture
FIND THE FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE. Subscribe to Exploring Filipino Kitchens on iTunes and share your comments below!
On today’s show Have you ever wondered what it’s like to study food history? In the Philippines, it’s not a topic often discussed by the general public - despite our love for debating the origins of pancit or adobo.
There are a handful of authors who delve into questions about where Filipino food comes from - and fewer still who frame the question of “tell me what you eat and I’ll tell you who you are” in the context of being Filipino. Felice Sta. Maria is the Philippines’ foremost scholar on food history - an award-winning author and advisor to the country’s top cultural institutions, whom I can honestly say has ignited my desire to read as much as I can about food history. The Foods of Jose Rizal and The Governor General's Kitchen were legitimate eye-openers to the depth and breadth of information we've found (and have yet to find) about food in the Philippines. To me, Felice made history approachable (and way more interesting than my high school textbooks could ever be).
If you’re a chef, tune in for Felice’s suggestions, as she outlines what food history can do for you and developing your dishes. R&D is, after all, an important aspect to the craft! If you’re interested in food history, whether Philippine specific or global - I promise you’ll learn a few new things (and wonder what it was like to live with cows at sea in the 1600s). If you’re Filipino and wondering “why should I care?”, that's a question you'll have to answer for yourself. Why is history relevant today? How much does an understanding of our past shape how we think of ourselves today? Show notes 02:45 Who is the Filipino? 03:50 Developing an interest in food 09:35 Research on the Spanish era 11:20 Research on canned goods 15:10 What the new world brought to us 17:30 "How were our favourite dishes cooked originally?" 21:55 The importance of food studies 29:45 "It's like being a detective" 30:15 A human element to history 32:40 On traditional tastes 34:50 Benefit to locals 36:15 Catch the interest now! FIND THE FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE. Subscribe to Exploring Filipino Kitchens on iTunes and share your comments below!
On today’s show Why does Amy Besa go to great lengths to find a vanishing fruit, turn it into jam, then serve it to diners who come to her restaurant in search of a truly Filipino meal? That answer is in Amy and Chef Romy Dorotan’s philosophy to cooking at Purple Yam - the restaurants they own in Malate, Manila and Brooklyn, New York City.
What prompted this episode? Filipino chefs are drawn to Amy’s quest for sourcing the best Philippine ingredients available like bees are drawn to nectar for making honey - they know it takes work to get the good stuff. Her stories are perfect for scrapbooking; they’re snapshots of rural life in the Philippines, where indigenous varieties of fruit and vegetables grow, of how those ingredients become our personal travel guides to tasting food from different regions and micro-climates on a plate. I wanted to know where those beautiful ingredients that Amy posts on her Instagram feed come from. What do they taste like and what did it take to get them to the restaurant? How can we use food to better understand Filipinos in general? One thing I’ve learned from Amy is that “discovery” is a lifelong process. The idea of exploring relatively undocumented Philippine ingredients across professional and home kitchens is incredibly exciting.
Show notes 04:35 "It's so easy to win Filipinos over" 06:20 Sineguelas fruit at Madrid Fusion Manila 07:20 Doing what it takes to get the best ingredients into the restaurant 09:15 Sourcing from small farms 09:45 Benguet cherries 10:50 Their philosophy at Purple Yam 11:35 "Nature is not a factory!" 12:15 Purple Yam's kitchen mindset 13:35 On flavours embedded in our DNA 14:25 A profound concept 16:00 Community supported agriculture (CSAs) in the Philippines 17:30 Working with Philippine ingredients 18:40 New techniques 20:20 The importance of storytelling 21:50 "Back of house" stories 22:20 Kitchen is like a lab 23:00 Developing a relationship with ingredients 23:20 Training at Purple Yam 23:55 On sawsawan (dipping sauces) FIND THE FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE. Subscribe to Exploring Filipino Kitchens on iTunes and share your comments below!
On today's show Why am I so keen to learn about the history, traditions and culture that surround the food from my homeland? This episode, I share how I fell in love with Filipino food in four stages - and what drives my desire to explore the country's foodways. What prompted this episode? For a really long time, I wondered about how to best convey the feelings I had toward food from the Philippines. Why did it matter so much that I felt an intense disconnect between how the world and I perceived the food traditions I grew up with? Why did I want to visit someplace where my parents worried for my safety, to visit farms where chocolate and cacao trees grew? Why did I spend my hard-earned money working overnights at a hotel, on books about food history and culture? In the end - it’s because I needed to write and speak in my own voice, in a way that felt truly my own. It took some getting used to. If you think a little deeper about Filipino food, emerge with a desire to read books by Doreen Fernandez, or just crave a sliver of lechon with golden skin that crackles after listening - your own journey into exploring Filipino kitchens is well on its way.
Show notes 01:10 Step 1: Uncover the romance 03:30 Excerpt from "Kinilaw Artistry In Old Sagay" by Doreen Fernandez 08:50 Step 2: Give into jealousy (the good kind) 12:40 Step 3: Putting yourself out there 13:50 Eating durian 15:40 Eating pako (fiddlehead ferns) 16:30 A visit to a monastery 17:45 A bevvy of bagoong (fermented shrimp/fish) at a market in Davao 18:40 Eating lato ("sea grapes") 19:50 Climbing a mountain 20:20 Step 4: Indulge in your desires 22:20 "Philippine cuisine began as other cuisines do" FIND THE FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE. Subscribe to Exploring Filipino Kitchens on iTunes and share your comments below!
On today's show I visit a coffee farm along the foothills of a mountain range in Mindanao province, discover why we need to save the "barako" coffee bean, and chat with the founder of a coffee company with a social purpose. What prompted this episode? My dependence on coffee started with packets of cigarettes and Nescafe 3-in-1. Though I now buy locally roasted beans from my neighbourhood coffee shop (and quit smoking), sometimes I get a whiff of feeling like a boxed-in, angry teenager when I sip my Saturday morning coffee. Except this time, I’m a socially conscious 30-something who lives with too many lingering questions about where the food that I consume comes from. I needed to know - where does coffee in the Philippine grow? What does it taste and smell like? How is coffee grown, harvested and processed? What stories will linger in your mind after listening to these champions for Philippine coffee?
We're talking with: • Neil Binayao of Hineleban Coffee Neil works with local families to grow coffee under something they call a “transformational business partnership”. That one morning I spent at the farm, meant a lifetime of lessons I can’t imagine learning anywhere else. Neil takes us through coffee production at Hineleban, from planting all the way to packaging - and offers a first-hand view of what life is like for farming families across the Philippines.
• Pacita (Chit) Juan Chit talks to us about the "barako" bean - one of the four commercially produced coffee varieties, along with the popular Arabica and Robusta - and why it needs saving, fast. These beans are bold and in your face - fruity, with an aroma that gets you caffeinated on its own.
• Carmel Laurino of Kalsada Coffee Carmel and the Kalsada team are ambassadors for Philippine specialty coffee that's grown with care and handled with the right technique. We talk about her journey into the world of coffee - and how Kalsada is making a difference for coffee farmers, one cup at a time.
FIND THE FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE. Subscribe to Exploring Filipino Kitchens on iTunes and share your comments below!