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.

Mr. Alejandro was a genius when he wrote this book. The 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.

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

The detailing is meticulously intricated line by line. I love it line by line evry words on it.

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.

Just what I needed

I am very happy with this cookbook. As a matter of fact I bought several of this book to give it as a gift. With several Filipino cookbooks I bought, Alejandro's cookbook is the most precise. I will give a 5-Star!

I’ve been using this book. My mom gave her old book to me. Growing up in Philippines she’s always the one to cook the special Filipino recipies.

Has a good lead-in to Philippine cooking and outlines how the book is organized. I like the section on history and its impact on the country's food. The recipes seem simple to make although the directions are quite sparse. Having some experience with Asian cooking, I believe that I can successfully make some of the dishes but it may prove difficult for someone who has little experience in such cooking. The glossary at the back of the book and the appendix are well organized and reflect the care and thought put into organizing this cookbook. Overall, it is good value for the price.

Ich habe das Buch gekauft, weil mich die philippinische Küche fasziniert.Das Buch enthält eine Reihe spannende Rezepte, die ich nach und nach ausprobieren werde. An einigen Stellen muss man aber auch mal improvisieren. Da werden Arbeitsschritte mal etwas unklar beschrieben oder Zutaten verwendet, die man hierzulande nicht oder nur schwer bekommt. Es fehlen leider auch Fotos der Gerichte, so dass man schon ein ziemliches Maß an Vorstellungsvermögen benötgt, um einschätzen zu können, wie das Ganze am Ende aussehen soll.

Honestly, I have not tried to recreate these recipes yet, so I don't know how easy they are. However, this book contains a lot of recipes, so is better value for money than the rest, I would say. No pictures, but surely it's the taste that is important?

I love using this book, being away from my homeland cooking my own native foods gave me great pleasure and help feel like I'm home eating what mother's used to cook for the family.Regards,Lilian

I wished that it had pictures!