7000 Islands: Cherished Reicpes and Stories from the Philippines

"In the south east Asian seas, 7107 islands form a striking nation called the Philippines. An intriguing mix of guests has stepped onshore. Their time has shaped the food. Filipino cuisine is unlike any you have tried. It's time—welcome in."

A native Australian food and travel writer with roots in the Philippines, Yasmin Newman has written a beautiful, well-researched book born of her desire to share the remarkable, complex cuisine and culture of the island nation. Filipino flavors, textures, and techniques have been shaped in part by geography and climate, but also by the cultures of visitors, colonizers, and others over the course of millennia. Some of the most influential include Chinese merchants, Arab traders, Portuguese explorers, Spanish conquistadors, Mexican Galleons, British occupiers, and "American GI Joes".

The book is organized by components of the cuisine beginning with the importance of brightly acidic, piquant, and sweet-savory condiments/dipping sauces (sawsawan). Other chapters include everyday food (ulam), party food (pagkain pang fiesta), finger food (pica pica), snacks (merienda), rice and noodles (kanin and pancit), Desserts (minatamis), and much more. Each recipe is titled with the Tagalog and English name for the dish, Engaging and informative notes detail not only the author's relationship to the food, but often reveal a dish's historical significance and development.

Paperback. Loaded with rich color photographs of people, place, and food.