I Am a Filipino: And This Is How We Cook - Hardcover

by Nicole Ponseca (Author), Miguel Trinidad (Author)

2019 James Beard Award Finalist

Named a Best Cookbook of the Year by The New Yorker, Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, New York Times Book Review, Houston Chronicle, Food52, PopSugar, and more

To eat--and cook--like a Filipino involves puckeringly sour adobos with meat so tender you can cut it with a fork, national favorites like kare kare (oxtail stew) and kinilaw (fresh seafood cured in vinegar), Chinese-influenced pansit (noodles), tamales by way of early Mexican immigrants, and Arab-inflected fare, with its layered spicy stews and flavors of burnt coconut. But it also entails beloved street snacks like ukoy (fritters) and empanadas and the array of sweets and treats called meryenda. Dishes reflect the influence and ingredients of the Spaniards and Americans, among others, who came to the islands, but Filipinos turned the food into their own unique and captivating cuisine. Filled with riotously bold and bright photographs, I Am a Filipino is like a classic kamayan dinner--one long festive table piled high with food. Just dig in

Author Biography

Nicole Ponseca is the founder and creative director of Maharlika and Jeepney restaurants in New York City. A native of San Diego, Ponseca moved to New York to pursue a career in advertising but found her true calling upon discovering a lack of authentic Filipino food in the city and deciding to do something about it. Together with chef Miguel Trinidad, she opened Maharlika in 2011 and Jeepney one year later. Ponseca is also a motivational speaker for young Filipino adults and an active fund-raiser for charities in the Philippines. Both authors live in New York City. Find them on Instagram @nicoleponseca and @chefmigsnyc.