Chris UrbanoThe World of Filipino Cooking: Food and Fun in the Philippines by Chris Urbano of 'Maputing Cooking' (over 90 recipes)

Chris Urbano is a pretty fascinating character - an Aussie guy in Manila to study Filipino, finding the best place for language practice was in the traditional wet markets and learns his first recipes there and on the streets among common Filipinos, before becoming fascinated by the reflection of history and cultural in every ulam. Filipino food has to be the most misunderstood, and perhaps the cuisine most decimated by industrial food preparation techniques of the 20th century. But Urbano discovers that if you go back 100 years before MCG, and packet mixes, Filipino was a delectable cacophony of flavors sourced from around the world, and probably still is the most eclectic, adventurous cuisine in the world - just so long as you cook it with honest ingredients and with love. I found Urbano's research on the origins and future of Filipino the most complete of any book I've read on Filipino cooking, going beyond just what it is?, to why did it come to be? He argues that the Philippines unique and multifaceted colonial and wartime history saw major global cuisines smashed together - amidst a climatically diverse archipelago - creating a degree of culinary variation that has been both its source of extreme culinary innovation over the centuries, as well as its biggest marketing problem. A cuisine just as exquisite as it defies categorization. Well done Urbano - I'm a fan!

What I liked about the cookbook is that, each recipe has an appetizing picture of the finished product which entices me to try the recipe. The ingredients as well as the directions how to cook each food items are uncomplicated and short, so it can easily be tried. The author's short story about each recipe also added some personal touch to the book. Because of the scarceness of taro leaves where I currently live, I yet have to try Chris' Laing recipe, which will seal if I can truly say this is the Ultimate Filipino Cooking Book. P.S. Thanks Chris for omiting one of Filipino's must have ingredients ...Vetsin in your recipes.

Among the best new books on FILIPINO CUISINE, though missing 2 of my favorites: SISIG and CRISPY PATA.Richly-illustrated and well-organized text, with a few minor typo errors. Highly recommended.

Great photography and the usual recipes