Tales of love of family and food
MANILA, Philippines - Celebrations: A Culinary Feast from the Roces-Reyes Table (Anvil Publishing) is no ordinary cookbook. Produced by six members of the Roces-Reyes clan and featuring both recipes and memories from four generations, it provides a tasty insight into the dining styles and culinary traditions of a typically close-knit Filipino family.
Secret recipes are shared as well as the stories behind them. There is something for every cook — old-fashioned, traditional Filipino and Spanish dishes of the kind your great grandparents would cook, modern cuisine from a young generation of professional chefs based both here and abroad, plus recipes from a number of countries where members of the clan have migrated to, lived in or visited.
The book is divided into chapters like “Celebrations,” which offers menus for life’s most enduring occasions — Thanksgiving, noche buena, New Year’s Eve, birthdays and anniversaries. The chapter called “In Memory’s Kitchen” focuses on loved ones long gone and a genteel era in Philippine history longingly recalled. The chapter “Family Traditions” details the unique way food was used to express love within the clan, while “Innovations” shows how meals have evolved to embrace the changing times. Lastly, the chapter on “Specialties” brings a rich collection of family signature dishes rarely shared in the past.
Over 60 contributors led to a collection of 160 varied recipes, from complex concoctions by chefs to very doable everyday and entertaining favorites to dishes small kids can make. The editorial team comprised of Karla Prieto Delgado, Ginny Roces-de Guzman, Gianna Reyes Montinola, Sylvia Roces-Montilla, Tina Roces-Garcia and Vicky Veloso-Barrera spent two years collecting and testing contributions from clan members, and the book is a result of their delectable collaboration.
Celebrations: A Culinary Feast from the Roces-Reyes Table is available at National Book Store and Powerbooks for P895. For more information, call Vicky Veloso-Barrera at 410-2279, 0917-539-3940; e-e-mail www.tinykitchen.com.ph, tiny_planet@hotmail.com and Tiny Kitchen on Facebook.
