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"Memories of Philippine Kitchens" is a cookbook/culinary history by the owners of Cendrillon, Romy and Amy Dorotan (New York Times food critic Frank Bruni says of Cendrillon that it is “daring, different and a sure remedy for the malady, too widespread these days, of dining déjà vu.”)

I've eaten at Cendrillon, which is a lovely Soho restaurant with excellent creative Filipino (with a sort-of-Pan-Asian-ish spin, or is it just the chef's own take on it all...) food, & chatted up Romy about the book (at one time I had visions of asking if he needed a designer for the project, but sad for me he already had one) so I knew this book was in the works. And now it's finally here.

It's a combination of recipes from the Cendrillon kitchen + interviews with many Filipinos about their kitchens + family recipes. It's a bit of a story-telling project + cultural/culinary history as well. Filipino food is quite diverse and rich in cultural influences. Not to mention that the Philippines is a place where food itself figures so large, socially speaking -- it's all about "Kain na!" It's about time such a book hit the world stage.

It's available on Amazon.com for preorder, but it releases in November.

And here's some discussion on it over at MarketManila.

Editorial review: "The essence of Filipino food has always remained somewhat secluded in the family kitchens of Filipino homes, passed down through the generations, melding native traditions with those of Chinese, Spanish, and American cuisines. With Memories of Philippine Kitchens Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan, owners and chef at Soho's popular Cendrillon restaurant, present a fascinating look at Filipino cuisine and culture. They have spent years tracing the traditions of the food of the Philippines, and here they share the results of that research. From Lumpia, Pancit, and Kinilaw to Adobo and Lechon (the art of the well-roasted pig), the authors document dishes and culinary techniques that are rapidly disappearing and in some cases unknown to Filipinos whether in the Philippines or abroad.

In addition to offering more than 100 unique recipes culled from private Filipino kitchens and their own acclaimed menu, Besa and Dorotan vividly document the role of food in Filipino society, both old and new. Filled with hundreds of sumptuous photographs by the esteemed Filipino photographer Neal Oshima and colorful stories of food memories from the authors and other notable local cooks, the book is a joy to peruse both in and out of the kitchen."

Oohhh I have this on my amazon wish list! After your post, I'm considering ordering it for myself sooner.

Hello Ms Gypsysoul, I've been waiting for you to post on this thread

I got the book about a month ago, it's awesome. Though I feel like, content-wise, it's a little tip-of-the-iceberg.

One really nice thing is that Romy + Amy include some of the Cendrillon recipes in the book, like the one for the Cendrillon fresh lumpia. They add ube flour to the mixture for the rice wrapper to make it purple. And they use a little lemongrass mixed with peanut and coconut milk in the dipping sauce. It's divine. I'm going to attempt to make it myself for my family Christmas dinner.... wish me luck on that one, I've never made lumpia before.

Wow, ube flour? that sounds so ineresting! My friend who lives in Jersey bought the book and was surprised to see her grandparents (or was it great-grandparents) in it, the Escanos with their recipes.

I wish the paperback was available already so I could get it sooner and cheaper.