Amboy: Recipes from the Filipino-American Dream by Alvin Cailan and Alexandra Cuerdo

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Notes about Recipes in this book

  • Hot dogs with garlic fried rice (Hot-silog!)

    • meggan on September 24, 2020

      Kind of meh. Despite all the garlic, the rice felt plain if not a little bitter?

    • BeckyLeJ on September 04, 2020

      I’m a sucker for anything with hot dogs. The fried rice is good and the addition of the hot dog and egg makes this an easy and filling meal!

  • Sacred Heart Retreat House fried rice

    • meggan on April 06, 2021

      Basic. My 6 yo loved it.

    • BeckyLeJ on September 04, 2020

      This might be my new go to for fried rice! We ate it with leftover Jamonado.

  • Hennessey steak au poivre

    • BeckyLeJ on September 04, 2020

      This is rich and decadent! Not something I could eat often, but perfect for special occasions!

  • Spam chips and white bean puree

    • BeckyLeJ on September 04, 2020

      This bean purée is really good. Frying the spam seems to amplify the saltiness. I do like spam, but it was a bit much. If I make it again, I’ll def go for low sodium spam.

  • Cucumber and tomato side salad

    • BeckyLeJ on September 04, 2020

      I think the fish sauce is a little too much for me with this dish. The dressing didn’t taste like much but the aftertaste of fish sauce was pretty intense.

  • Garlic fried rice (Sinangag)

    • BeckyLeJ on September 04, 2020

      So good! But do be sure to get the pan hot enough!

  • Amboy burger

    • BeckyLeJ on September 04, 2020

      This is a good burger! Couldn’t find the Edam cheese, sadly, but we subbed kraft per his instructions.

  • Pineapple pork loin (Jamonado)

    • BeckyLeJ on September 04, 2020

      This is excellent! We did have a ton of extra pineapple glaze. Next time I might set some aside before adding the sesame oil to make a sauce for another dish.

  • Dad's tortang giniling

    • BeckyLeJ on September 04, 2020

      This was much easier than I expected! Super tasty!

  • Japan West's ketchup and mayo sauce

    • BeckyLeJ on September 04, 2020

      Great, easy burger sauce!

  • Sweet rolls (Pan de sal)

    • BeckyLeJ on September 04, 2020

      Mine came out looking like cinnamon rolls. I’ll probably shape them more like Parker a House rolls next time.

  • Bobby Flay showed me a cool quesadilla

    • BeckyLeJ on September 04, 2020

      This was pretty good. Noticed on the teriyaki sauce recipe that he said he eats it with quesadillas. Next time, I’ll pair the two!

  • Amboy adobo

    • Twysbeek on September 27, 2021

      Meat braises for 1.5hrs after being pan-fried and brining for 8-12 hours (plus the brine is boiled then cooled for at least 2hrs prior to using). This is time-intensive dish. It is very tasty, but not sure it is different tasting enough from much easier recipes.

  • Pork meatloaf with pineapple glaze (Embutido)

    • SweetLittleBytes on January 21, 2021

      The end result is delicious, but my meatloaf took way longer than the recommended baking time. I know it wasn't my oven temperature, because I have an in-oven thermometer to monitor that.

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Reviews about this book

  • Eat Your Books

    Fall in love with Alvin Cailan and his recipes. A great mix of Filipino and American cuisine.

    Full review
  • ISBN 10 1328931730
  • ISBN 13 9781328931733
  • Published Aug 25 2020
  • Format Hardcover
  • Page Count 304
  • Language English
  • Countries United States
  • Publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Publishers Text

Filipino recipes from the the creator of the legendary Eggslut in LA, host of the hit online series The Burger Show, and the most prominent Filipino chef in the US.

Alvin Cailan has risen to become arguably the most high-profile chef in America's Filipino food movement. He took the food scene by storm when he opened the now-legendary Eggslut in Los Angeles, a foodie cult favorite specializing in affordable but sophisticated egg sandwiches. Alvin is now based in New York City, where his latest critically acclaimed restaurant is The Usual.

Alvin also hosts the popular Burger Show on First We Feast's YouTube channel, with many episodes exceeding 1 million views and guests such as Seth Rogen and Padma Lakshmi. Alvin's story of success, however, is an unlikely one. He emerged from his youth spent as part of an immigrant family in East LA feeling like he wasn't Filipino enough to be Filipino and not American enough to be an American, thus amboy, the term for a Filipino raised in America. He had to first overcome cultural traditions and family expectations to find his own path to success, and this unique cookbook tells that story through recipes.