From the Kitchen
The PinoyFoodFinder Blog
Tips, guides, and stories celebrating Filipino food culture in America.
Ilocano Cooking 101: Bagnet, the North's Love of Salt, and Why Everything Is Fried Twice
The twice-fried pork belly from the Philippines' northern coast — how bagnet is made, how it differs from lechon kawali, and why Ilocano cooking leans so hard into salt.
Ginisang Gulay: The 15-Minute Vegetable Stir-Fry That's Tasted the Same for Generations
The quick Filipino vegetable sauté that works with whatever is in your fridge — ready in twenty minutes, tastes like your lola made it.
Kinilaw: The Filipino Ceviche That's Not Ceviche
Vinegar, citrus, and coconut milk on sushi-grade fish — why kinilaw is nothing like the ceviche it gets compared to.
Ube Obsession: Why This Purple Yam Became the Star of Filipino Desserts
What ube actually is, which form to buy, and the no-cook ube halaya recipe that's the foundation of every ube dessert.
Pinakbet: The Vegetable Stew Filipino Home Cooks Have Been Making for Centuries
Bitter melon, anchovy paste, and whatever's in season — why pinakbet isn't trying to be healthy, it's just vegetables cooked deliciously.
Lechon Kawali vs. Lechon Manok: Crispy Pork at Home
Crispy Filipino pork belly and roast chicken at home — no whole roasted pig required.
Lumpia Shanghai: Crispy, Delicious, and Easier Than You Think
Filling secrets, wrapper tips, and the folding technique that makes homemade lumpia taste better than any restaurant version.
Sinigang: The Tamarind Stew That Heals Everything
Why Filipino families make this sour, savory tamarind stew multiple times a month — and how to solve the tamarind sourcing problem.
Why Adobo Tastes Like Home: A Guide to Filipino Cooking's Most Important Dish
The history, regional variations, and simple techniques behind the Philippines' unofficial national dish.
9 Kitchen Tools Every Filipino Home Cook Needs
From the Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy rice cooker to bamboo steamer baskets — the must-have gear for recreating authentic lasang Pinoy in a modern US kitchen.