Modern Cookbook: Yummy Filipino Recipes iPad App

Marielle Ebao

I enjoy watching cooking shows and occasionally browsing through recipe books to find dishes I can try out for myself. I look for ones that are easy to prepare, since I am usually a disaster at the kitchen. The problem is, once I see something I'd like to try, most ingredients cannot be bought locally, or are too expensive for everyday meals. Luckily, Summit Media recently released its first ever iPad app, which contains Filipino recipes with easy-to-follow steps and uses ingredients that can be found in local grocery stores. 

This is a screenshot of the app's home page. The app takes after the vibrant Yummy magazine color scheme and engaging layout, only now, made easily accessible to techie Filipino food lovers whenever, wherever. 

Even the not-so-techie moms/dads can enjoy this app, because it's so easy to use, it even comes with a "How to Use this App" feature and handy navigation bars.

Recipes are grouped under these categories: Salads and Vegetables, Noodles and Rice, Fish and Seafood, Meat, Poultry, and Desserts and Sweet Snacks. Just choose a category, put on your apron, and raid your kitchen! 

I'm tempted to share screenshots of the actual recipes, because they all look so good! I'll let you find out for yourselves, though. So go ahead and download this app which retails at $3.99, by going to this App Store link: http://bit.ly/MzrLtv. Enjoy!

Thanks to the Summit Media team, especially to their Media Relations Associate, Ms. Charlotte Catapang, for introducing us to this app! :) 

Do leave your comments about the app here, and maybe share your favorite recipes! 

Therese in the Philippines: Mesa Filipino Moderne

Intro: You probably don't know this, but I went home to the Philippines last January. In the span of the 9 days that I was there, I tried 5 new restaurants around the metro, and I even went out of town! Therefore, let me take a short break from my Taiwan posts and in my next few entries, I am going to write about the new places I've been to in and around the metro!

My bloc mates and I were supposed to have a dinner reunion at Yabu in SM Megamall but unfortunately, when we got there, we were put on the waiting list. We didn't want to wait for a long time, so we decided to eat at Mesa Filipino Moderne, which is located almost beside Yabu, instead.

We were seated at this table that had 2 long benches surrounding it. What we didn't like about it was that there wasn't enough space (it was very cramped) so it was hard for us to sit down and move around.

Moving on to the food...

Baby squid in olive oil | 270php

I loved this because the squid was tender and cooked just right (in my opinion). Also, they're very cute!

Pasta kaldereta | 165php

If you're a fan of kaldereta and of tomato sauce, then you're going to love this. The flavors were just right. This could very well be a comfort food.

Salpicao ostrich | 320php

I also liked this because the ostrich meat was tender. I think ostrich meat tastes a bit like chicken/beef but it's not totally the same, and you could actually taste that from eating this. I also like how they were cut into bite-sized portions, because the last time I ate ostrich meat, it was hard and the cuts were huge (maybe that's why it was hard?)

Sisig rice | 170php

We wanted to order the Laing rice but it wasn't available. We settled for this instead, but there was nothing special with this dish. It didn't taste much like sisig.

Tofu sisig | 130php

We also liked this one because of the juiciness (?) of the tofu along with the sisig.

In conclusion, I/we liked their food because it was delicious, and it's not all that expensive. Though it may look like the servings are small, they're actually very filling. We were a group of 7 and we all got full after. Also, each person paid less than 200php for dinner!

Location: SM Megamall
Level 2, Mega Atrium
EDSA corner Julia Vargas Ave., Mandaluyong City

Amano: A Taste of Southern Luzon

Amano Bistro - Bar
Tomas Morato, Quezon City
Type of Cuisine: Filipino - Southern Luzon

Amano Bistro and Bar, located at Tomas Morato, will be the newest Filipino restaurant featuring Southern Luzon dishes for us who would like to take a bite of distinct and spicy flavors from down south.



My dad’s side of the family hails from Sorsogon City. Although a part of me came from the Bicol region, the only time I got to visit Southern Luzon and get to sample their dishes was when I went to the beaches of Caramoan with my friends last October break.

During that trip, I got to taste really delicious southern dishes such as the famous Laing and the Bicol Express, which I fell in love with. This restaurant made me remember of that fun filled trip we had.

Cavite Monggo Soup
Would you believe that this was my first time to eat Monggo Soup? Cavite monggo cooked with vinegar and olive oil, a native way of cooking the dish instantly earned a fan. Now I understand why my mom loves this dish so much.

Torta de Patata
A well designed meal which consists of eggplant with ground pork with egg in a bed of potato garlic coriander. I found this dish interesting, though I suggested to the chef to mix the eggplant with the egg batter to have a whole and more exciting taste to the dish.

Laing ala Pinangat
A Quezon vegetable specialty with dried fish, wrapped with taro leaves that’s long-simmered in coconut cream. It has a strong flavor, which I think goes well with rice.

Palawan Tilapia
Palawan steamed fish in a symphony of bagoong (shrimp paste), calamansi (Philippine lime), ginger and spring onion. I found this dish to be ordinary despite it being well presented. It would be better if there would be a distinct flavor which will move the taste buds.

Calamansi Sorbet with Fruit Caviars
This Philippine lime sorbet, which is interestingly served with mango and melon caviar (locally called sago), is a very refreshing and smooth cleanser to the palette.

Bicol Express
This is one HOT dish. The best among the rest, the Bicol express, which is cooked in coconut milk, with fresh green chilies, is a famous dish from Naga City, Bicol. This dish emerged to be my favorite because of the perfect combination of tastes, which prove to engage you.

Amano Halo-Halo
Halo-halo of twelve sweets (ube, leche flan, nata de coco, langka, red bean, etc) served in frozen Buko (coconut) juice, an unconventional presentation which worked to its advantage.



After two weeks, when it finally opens, expect me to visit this restaurant again, to rekindle the tastes of my Southern Luzon food adventure, and to see for myself how the establishment fully operates.