Being a self-proclaimed, self-taught cook (and not too well at that) and food fanatic, I almost always go to the cookbook / food section of a bookstore first. And always, Ilook at the pictures first. Iguess Ihave this (secret) obsession about food photography that aside from taste, visual has to be also a priority. This is why Iwas more than excited to help writer, photographer and graphic designer Nelson Agustin in his quest to find some yemas (those sweet and milky delicacy wrapped in colorful cellophanes) for his newest photography book, A for Adobo.
Based in Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada, Nelson graduated with honors from the University of the Philippines-College of Fine Arts and has published several photography books, most notably Bare Essentials (2007) and Edible Landscapes (2007) under his publishing house, Helios Media. However, A for Adobo is his first photography book for children.
In his book’s Introduction, Nelson tries to explain what Filipino food is all about. "One is hard put to say what it is," he writes and added, "Perhaps the halo-halo’s tall glass of mixed sweets where East meets West in a happy rainbow of taste and color is an apt metaphor for what Philippine cooking is about.’He also tells the truth about Filipinos, wherever they may be in the world, is likely to have rice and adobo on the stove, as well as patis (fermented fish sauce) in their pantry. Filipino food, as he simply (but truthfully) puts, "is more than just comfort food." It is, he writes, "a celebration of who we are, as well as a survival tool for immigrants adjusting to an unfamiliar culture and environment."
It took me five days, four Filipino stores, four taste tests, my mom, my sister and a friend to find the perfect yemas (which will survive the trip to Canada) for Nelson. When the package was finally sent, Iactually felt a weird sense of achievement knowing that in a small way, Iwas able to help.A for Adobo is based on the modern Filipino alphabet instituted by the Philippine government in 1987, consisting of 28 letters—20 from native Filipino and eight from the Spanish alphabet. The letters C, F, J, N, Q, V, X and Z are used only in proper names and nouns, scientific and technical terms and words native to languages other than Filipino. The book also has a more detailed description of each entry that can be found in the Foodnotes section. The Filipino-English bilingual text is for the benefit of acquainting younger generations of readers with the mother tongue.
A for Adobo will have its book launching in Manila on July 19, Monday, in Seattle, Washington on July 22, Thursday at the Filipino-American National Historical Society, Seattle University from 5:30 to 8pm; and Vancouver on August 14, Saturday at St. Patrick Ground on Main Street from 9am to 4pm and a booksigning at the Manila International Bookfair from September 15-22. For more information about A for Adobo, log on to adobo.tahananbooks.com or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
*Photographs by Nelson Agustin
All images are from A for Adobo, (C) 2010 by Tahanan Books. Reproduced by permission from the publisher.
( Published July 9, 2010 in Something Filipino Magazine p. 2 )
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