The Philippine Cookbook

I bought this book because I needed to know the basics of Filipino cooking, and my Filipino relatives do not write their (or their maids') recipes down. I cannot just call my aunt in Manila to ask her cooks how to make kalderetang kambing, and searching on the internet for it turns up hundreds of results with personal twists. Plus its hard to cook and use an iPad without getting it all sloppy and wet. I'd rather get a paperback book messy.I realize that cookbook recipes are not to be followed 100% and that is why I love this book. It lets me be open to interpretation, which is the reality of Filipino cooking. No two households make one Filipino dish the same. Neither do any two restaurants. This book gives you the basic recipe and you can tweak it any way you want. Make it taste like Lola's cooking, or put your own twist. My only gripe is that there are no photos. I like photos! Otherwise I would recommend this book for any cook's library, especially if you like experimenting with Asian or Filipino cuisine.

I am so appreciative that I found a copy of this same recipe book my mom had. Hers is torn from wear and tear over the years and has it rubberbanded. I purchase this copy for her to have a bounded copy, although she probably doesn’t need it anymore. She was very surprised to see it in this form. I am very happy with this purchase.

I had this book for many years. And I love it. It’s the best Filipino cookbook out there. Stayed close to the real Filipino cooking. I bought this copy as a present for my daughter.

The recipes are nice.Could use pictures.

This is my second book. The first was well used and falling apart so I had to buy a new one.Easy to follow and recipes are delicious

Mr. Alejandro was a genius when he wrote this piece of factual and simple to read Filipino recipes and historical facts are spot on in this cookbook. It tells of where the Filipino food is based from and historical facts about Philippine culture. It’s just a fascinating read and instructional Filipino cookbook.

Very authentic. My wife is Filipino and I lived there for 5 years. No pictures, but as close as your are gonna find to an authenic Filipino cookbook....seeing as how they dont write recipes down over there. Good buy

A great reference book with hundreds of recipes. Somewhat outdated (original print 1985) but invaluable if you want to increase your repertoire and understanding of Filipino cuisine.