Filipino

For the full effect, enjoy over a bed of rice with a pint of cold beer.

With a crisp crust and fruity filling, pineapple pie is a Philippine bakeshop specialty.

With the sweet and nutty flavor of ube, these cookies taste like they’ve been dunked into a glass of milk.

I make these twisted yeast doughnuts with a veil of maple icing and a generous shower of crispy fried Spam bits.

This version of buko pie, a classic Filipino dessert, paints the flaky bottom crust with a coat of cherry jam, while a crunchy cinnamon-kissed crumble sits on top.

When used in the right amounts, fermented and salty elements don’t overpower the other ingredients in a dessert.

When I’m with my mom’s side of the family, no holiday is complete without ube pie. Ube is a vibrant purple yam from the Philippines used in many sweet dishes. This version of the pie, with its deep shade of violet and its pearly crown of marshmallowy whipped cream, looks as regal as it does whimsical. It’s creamy and custardy like a sweet potato pie but with ube’s distinct notes of vanilla and pistachio. Instead of starting with whole purple yams, this recipe uses jarred ube halaya (sometimes ca.…

Adobo is commonly made with chicken, pork, or squid, but this one relies on mushrooms for a boost of umami flavor and meaty texture.

Sinuglaw is a combination of fish ceviche—in this case, vinegar-cured tuna—plus smoky grilled pork belly. The flavorful dish gets dressed with coconut milk, ginger, red onion, chiles, and tomato.

Pork belly is ubiquitous throughout the Philippines; the fat is glorious and tastes great grilled. Getting a nice char on the fatty bits is important, as it adds another level of flavor to the salty-sour-tart-sweetness of the soy-calamansi marinade.

You can store this all-purpose sweet-and-spicy vinegar in clean mason jars, but it is easier to keep it in repurposed glass bottles. Note that this recipe can be adjusted as you like—try using different chiles or other spices like bay leaf.

This roll can be filled with whatever you like: beef, pork, or vegetables. The combination in this recipe is my favorite.

Grated cassava takes the place of flour in this classic Filipino cake, which soaks up the rich coconut milk, and lends a sweet, nutty flavor and a sticky, chewy texture.

In the Philippines, mais con yelo is a traditional dessert of crushed ice layered with corn kernels and sweetened milk. For this version, the milk and ice are combined with puréed corn to make a delicious granita.

For adobo that’s sweet, salty, tangy, garlicky, and ready in a fraction of the time, don’t peel and slice each garlic clove: Just cut open a whole head and simmer it in the sauce.

You can store this all-purpose sweet-and-spicy vinegar in clean mason jars, but it is easier to keep it in repurposed glass bottles. Note that this recipe can be adjusted as you like—try using different chiles or other spices like bay leaf.

This dish—both a backyard staple and street food treat in the Philippines—is slightly sticky when cooked and develops a nice char while the dark thigh meat stays tender and juicy.

A ubiquitous staple on Filipino tables, this rice dish is heavily perfumed with garlic oil and tossed with crispy sautéed garlic chips.

For this popular Filipino breakfast, the eggplants are heavily charred before being battered with egg and pan-fried, making them smoky, creamy, crispy, and totally satisfying.

Using ground pork instead of stew meat is a practical and easy way of making menudo on a weeknight.