Filipino culinary heritage

by George Banez “If not adobo, what food do you miss?”  I asked Dr. Margarita Lavides, fellow academic residing in the U.S.  Currently teaching at universities in the New York metropolitan area, she moved to New Jersey in 2015. After earning…

by George Banez “Keep your passport with you — in your pocket — all the time.” My eldest brother reminded me to be alert as I finally said goodbye after checking in. He must have seen me drop my passport near…

by George Banez “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.”  Says Juliet to lover Romeo whose family name betrays him as nemesis to her own.  She convinces him that…

by George Banez “NO.” I politely told one of the participating housewives. She suggested adding sugar to the Filipino “Chicken Adobo” recipe I prepared for them to cook.  Back in Fukuoka, Japan, in the 90s, I said “YES” to every opportunity…

by George Banez “We need to first know our own food so intimately before we can fully present its diversity internationally,” declared Filipino French digital content creator Erwan Heussaff. The James Beard Foundation Media Award recipient for promoting Filipino cuisine…

When a co-worker found out I grew up in the Philippines, he could not stop enthusing about the parties Filipino Americans throw here in the U.S.  He gushed over “lumpia” spring rolls and “pancit” stir-fried noodles.  As a frequent Latino…

Over lunch of rice, soup, fish, and vegetables at my sister’s house in Paranaque, Philippines, I found myself explaining to the family’s caregiver what a sandwich was like in the U.S. where I live. Needless to say, I had a…