It’s a big weekend here, folks. Yesterday saw the launch of 1521: Rediscovering the History of the Philippines written by none other than my wife, Judy Robinson. As of this writing, it’s a #1 New Release on Amazon!!!
I couldn’t be prouder of Judy. She followed her curiosity, dug deep into an academic subject that she knew little about, and in documenting her journey, came up with a book that is both historical and personal — a wild journey that transports readers back in time and around the world.
It seems to me that the Philippines is having something of a moment. Here in the DC area, several new Filipino restaurants have opened in the past few years. In Columbia Heights, Genevieve Villamora and Nick Pimentel’s Michelin-listed Bad Saint is one of the hottest tickets in town. Downtown, Tom Cunanan and Paolo Dungca’s trendy, fast-casual spot Pogiboy serves up Tocino burgers and Lechon Kawali bowls. And in Rockville, Javier Fernandez is celebrating nearly 4 years of his wildly successful lechon (pork belly) shop Kuya Ja’s.
All of these places seem to be going gangbusters. And rightfully so: they each bring a unique spin to a cuisine that still pretty novel here in the US, and they are all delicious (or, as they say in the Philippines, “sarap!”). It’s great to see Filipino food getting its due, and I really hope the trend continues.
sarap without the carbs
Thing is, though, they have a saying in the Philippines: “It’s not a meal without rice.” This is no exaggeration. During my visits there, I’ve seen it all: rice with eggs and sausage for breakfast, rice with spaghetti for lunch (I kid you not), rice with fish for dinner, rice with mango for dessert… In fact, if you hit the hotdog stand looking for a frankfurter on a bun, you need to specify a “hotdog sandwich.” Otherwise it might come with a side of rice. So what’s a low-carb fella to do?
I like to say that I can shuck-and-jive through most any menu and stay low-carb. So today, in celebration of the new book, (and by getting up early to pre-order) Judy and I got some take-out breakfast sandwiches from Javier Fernandez’s new Lapu-Lapu pop-up in Rockville. They were amazing.
Mine was bistek — thinly-sliced ribeye marinated in lemon and soy sauce — topped with an egg and cheese sauce. Here’s how it went down:
See? Trade in the bun for a knife and fork, and you’ve got a delicious, low-carb meal.
diy
Of course, the ultimate move is to take control of the process from start to finish. Since learning to cook, I’ve added Filipino classics such as adobo, sinigang, and bistek to my repertoire. And all of them are out of this world, and all can be done in a low-carb-friendly way that a won’t kick you out of ketosis.
So this week, as a special 1521 treat, I bring you a brand-new cooking video. Inspired by a recipe from Marvin Gapultos’s The Adobo Road Cookbook, here is my take on homemade laing — a sweet, salty, spicy dish of kale in coconut cream that is low-carb, high-fat, and out of this world. Click on the image above to play the vid. I hope you enjoy!
Thanks again, and don’t forget to pick you your copy of 1521. It’s a journey you won’t want to miss!
cooking up something big