There’s a new Filipino cookbook coming out in April 2025 from Chronicle Books!
“In the Kusina: My Seasonal Filipino Cooking” is by Woldy Reyes, who runs a boutique catering company called Kusina in New York City.
The book begins with an introduction to growing up Filipino-American; seasonal vegetable-forward cooking; stocking the Filipino-American pantry; and his seven guiding principles for modern Filipino cooking.
Chapters include:
- Sawsawan – Sauces, Condiments Pickles and Pantry Items
- Winter – Family, Nostalgia, and a Warm Bowl of Rice Porridge
- Spring – A Time of Renewal, a Time to Watch Things Grow
- Summer – Summer is a Party, Summer is Casual, Summer is Abundance
- Fall – Caterer to Chef to Community
I’m excited o see a Coconut Labneh and Coconut Green Goddess Dressing in the Sauces chapter – it’s hard to come by vegetarian anchovy-free Green Goddess dressing unless you make it yourself at home. There’s a Sweet and Spicy Banana Ketchup recipe, a make your own chili paste, plus Herby Fish Sauce and peanut salsa. I’m going to try making the Mushroom BBQ Sauce, but I’ll omit the ginger, which I’m allergic to. There’s a recipe I’ve never seen in another cookbook, for pickled golden raisins – how interesting!
In the Winter chapter, there are warming recipes such as Mung Bean and Vegetable Soup, Coconut Hot Cocoa, and Sotanghon soup with mung bean noodles and chili oil.
Spring brings us unusual flavor combinations, such as in the Black Pepper Granola recipe and a Purple Daikon Coconut Labneh and Peanut Salsa Toast. I’m curious to try making Lumpia Crackers, and I have my eye on the recipe for Crispy Lemon Dill Rice. I’m not sure about the Banana Ketchup and Tomato Spaghetti, but I’d enthusiastically bake the Lemon Cherry Upside Down Cake.
Summer is my favorite season, and the recipes that call out to me the most from this chapter are Adobo Green Beans and Green Plums with Miso Mushroom Bagoong and Jasmine Rice.
The cookbook finishes with Fall, offering Coconut Chia Seed Custard, Bibinka Waffles, a vegetable fritter, Sweet and Spicy Banana Ketchup Roasted Carrots, and a delightful sounding Kabocha Squash Lumpia. (I’m glad to see step-by-step photos showing the lumpia assembly).
Overall, I find this cookbook intriguing, with easily sourced ingredients, flavor combinations I haven’t yet tried, and plenty of vegetarian options (if I omit the fish sauce). There are far more baking recipes than I had anticipated, which is a plus.
This will be a fun and unique cookbook for experienced home cooks to try out. I love the author’s exuberance, and enjoyed seeing his happy smile throughout this, his debut cookbook.
Shop for “In the Kusina: My Seasonal Filipino Cooking” on Amazon (affiliate link).
Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for gifting me an advance reading copy of this new Filipino cookbook.
-Carrie
Cookbook Divas
