What the Heck Is Filipino Food? A Beginner's Guide to Filipino Cooking

Adrian Briones is the author of Australia's First Filipino Cookbook. Since its official April 2012 release, it has won a Gourmand Cookbook Award for Best Asian Cuisine (Australia) and landed in the Bookdepository.com Best Sellers. He has been featured in SBS Food, The Melting Pot, SBS Radio, GRAM, HomeAway, MTV online and Be@Home and writes for the award winning food blog foodrehab.com.au.

Born in the 'Culinary Capital' of the Philippines, San Fernando, Pampanga, Adrian describes Filipino food as 'Asian Soul Food' and spent two years writing his first book What The Heck Is Filipino Food? A Beginner's Guide to Filipino Cooking, to break the ice about Filipino food and its mystery in Australia so to speak; where there are hardly any Filipino restaurants.

The book stands as a tribute to Adrian's mum who taught him how to cook and her infamous secret recipes that have had many people drooling not too mention queuing for years and is filled with childhood stories as well as a humorous take on Filipino history.

In addition to being a super easy guide to traditional Filipino cooking and culture, there are a few twists on the classics from Pulled Pork Adobo Pie to Frenchy Filipino Toast with Maple Butter - taking traditional recipes into the 21st century. It also includes incredible photography taken in the Philippines.

The book has the look and feel of a comic book complete with flashy quote boxes, superhero fonts, cartoon characters and an in depth glossary which describes many of the ingredients that you may not know of that is used in Philippine cuisine. Certainly not your average cookbook. There are two chapters in the book with one chapter on Merienda (snacks/light meals) and another focusing on the larger meals/mains, very much in the same vain as how Filipino's spread out their meals throughout the day.

You will learn how to make many incredible and fragrant 'kapampangan' dishes from scratch using simple techniques, fresh produce and ingredients that may already be in your pantry.