This May is Heritage Month, and this year we have organized a dinner based on and inspired by recipes from one of the country's first cookbooks for Filipino households, "Condimentos Indigenas", by Pura Villanueva Kalaw. Mrs. Kalaw was also one of the active members of the women's suffrage movement in the Philippines (women were granted the right to vote in a special plebiscite on April 30, 1937).
Published in 1918, "Condimentos Indigenas" is a compact little booklet of over 150 recipes collected and compiled by Mrs. Kalaw with contributions from all over the Philippines, including Sorsogon, Ilocos, Batangas, Iloilo, and Mindanao. It was made for the Filipina housewife and her kitchen, paying close attention to local ingredients and traditional cooking methods.
Chef Myke Sarthou of Chef Tatung's Restaurant will serve his own interpretations of several dishes taken from the cookbook. We still in the process of selecting the right wines to pair with the various dishes. Please view the menu here.