What we covered in this episode
- Chef Carlo Lamagna shares his thoughts about Filipino cuisine and why when restaurant suggestions are made, often people mention Thai, Ramen, Korean Barbecue, Pho, Sushi, and Indian joints. Rarely will Filipino Cuisine be included in the conversation.
- Other Asian cuisines have been part of the American landscape for decades. But only in recent years have Filipino dishes started gaining recognition outside immigrant communities.
- Chef Carlos Lamagna describes Filipino food. With more than 7,500 islands, the Philippines is an archipelagic country. It went through a lot of foreign influences thought out History.
- Adobo is a good example is a very popular dish. That is well-known around the world, but what people don't realize that every Island and every region in the Philippines has its own variations and every family has its own variations.
- Chef Carlo Lamagna says that the most common answer that people give about Filipino cuisine is that it's a fusion cuisine. He couldn't disagree more. Filipino cuisine is an evolutionary cuisine. It evolves just like any other culture.
- Filipino cuisine has Malaysian, British, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Pacific Islanders influences.
- Chef Carlo Lamagna mentions that the condiment game in the Philippines is very strong. The condiments like Bagoong, Suka, vinegar, fermented shrimp pastes, fish sauces, soy sauce, or a mixture of any of those ingredients are used to personalize the dish itself.
- He describes his restaurant Magna as a non traditional Filipino restaurant that is inspired by its roots, by traditional and authentic flavors that are authentic to him. It is a modern Filipino restaurant serving modern versions of traditional dishes.
- Series of rapid-fire questions.
- Link to the podcast episode on Apple Podcast https://apple.co/Carlo_Lamagna
Links to other episodes in Portland, Oregon
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- James Beard Dinner – Regional Philippine Cuisine – “Dinadaraan” – Braised pork collar, blood sarsa, blood sausage crumble, pork ear chicharron, bone marrow suman ©Clay Williams
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- Wines of Argentina “Breaking Borders” Recipe contest – Smoked Ham Hock Adobo Croquette, Coconut Braised Kale
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- Chicken Tinola Noodles – Braised Chicken, Chicken Hearts and Livers, Bok Choy, Egg Noodles, Chicken-Ginger Consomme
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- Starchefs Awards Gala – Beef Pares (PAH-res) – Anise Braised Beef Brisket, Sticky Rice, Radish, Serrano Peppers
Submitted questions from podcast listeners
Filipino Adobo recipe from Chef Carlo Lamagna
I think a lot of people should really truly explore what Adobo is. When I cook Adobo at home, I use a combination of both pork belly and pork neck bone. There's good meat on the neck bone. It adds a lot of great flavor to the broth when it's brought down and the pork belly itself is a tougher and richer cut. I cook it the way that my dad cooks it. Add water, vinegar, Bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns inside the pot with your neck bones and pork belly, just to cover. The pork belly can be diced up. You start slowly cooking that down. Most Adobo a lot of people do is very saucy. I like mine a little on the drier side. It's a little bit more on the oily side. That fat is such great flavor when you put it on rice. So I actually cook it util the liquid is almost all gone. And then I season it with soy sauce. I don't add the soy sauce at the beginning, because if you add the soy sauce in the beginning, as it cooks out, it actually the bitter notes of the soy sauce will come out more and you don't want that. Always season it at the very end and I never eat it right away. I always eat it the day after. It's a labor of patients because again, just like any braise, it'll be so much better the next day, because all of those flavors are allowed to sit in there and re-soaked back into the meats. Yes, you can eat it right away. It's fine. But it's going to be significantly better the next day. That's one thing that I would encourage you to try . Serve it with a nice bowl of white rice using Jasmine rice as it is the most common rice in the Philippines.