I've always imagined that I'd one day want to spend time travelling Malaysia and the Philippines to learn how to go about authentically preparing foods from the homelands. So many of my cookbooks and food memories have compelled me to spend more time understanding what I eat through a more historical and political context.The cookbook Memories of Philippine Kitchens does just that. It explores chapters by region and by distinct Philippine dishes. And more than just a cookbook it provides family and cultural history behind recipes and ingredients. The authors, restaurateurs in NYC, do a wonderful job of why describing we eat what we eat. I particularly love their research about where dishes originated and how they were named. It's a huge volume and makes interesting reading.
