Welcome to Kawali Made

Mabuhay bbs, and welcome to Kawali Made, a Filipino-American cooking blog. I am excited to start this project, writing recipes and stories that celebrate the food of the Filipino-American diaspora. From classics like my mom’s pancit and lola’s lumpia, to new dishes like bibingka-style Basque cheesecake and brisket adobo, my recipes will share the diverse and evolving cuisine of the Filipino-American community.

While I’ve been cooking Filipino food for years, there is so much more I am still learning and dishes I’ve yet to eat or make, and I’m glad to share that journey here. Cooking and eating together is a love language for most Filipinos, and I hope that Kawali Made inspires more people to try cooking Filipino dishes and sharing them with loved ones. Maraming salamat for being with me here at the start of this project, and please reach out with any ideas or questions. Luto tayo (let’s cook)!

Grilling up some Filipino BBQ and chicken inasal

Some Quick Q&As on Kawali Made:

Who are you?

My name is Justin (he/him) and I am a queer son of Filipino immigrants, born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, making a home in Oakland, CA. I started cooking Filipino food at 10 years old, when my mom first taught me how to make her favorite breakfast: corned beef hash, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and rice. Cooking has always been a passion and one that I love to share with my friends and family. Outside of the kitchen, I work in energy and environmental justice here in the Bay Area.

What does “kawali” mean?

Kawali is Tagalog for wok, and it’s an essential piece of cookware in the kusina (kitchen). My kawali is from Lipa City, my mom’s hometown, and belonged to my lola (grandma). It’s a nearly 40-year old workhorse of a pan, made out of the recycled steel of an old Philippine air force plane. Almost as bad-ass as my lola.

What is “big lola energy?”

Lola is Tagalog for grandma and let me tell you, our lolas, titas, and mamas put the QUEEN in Filipino-American cuisine. This blog is a love letter to my mom and lola (and all of our moms and lolas), two talented cooks who taught me my love for food and the kitchen. To cook with “big lola energy” means to cook like them--with lots of flavor, a bit of resourcefulness, and a whole lot of love.

What kind of food are you cooking, is it authentic?

The food I cook is uniquely Filipino-American, inspired by the foods I ate growing up and the foods I love to eat now. Some recipes are strongly rooted in traditional Filipino cuisine, while others are evolutions of dishes. I’m inspired by so many brilliant cooks and food writers as well as by the incredible access to ingredients here in California. My recipes are authentic to me and my experience in the kitchen and at the dinner table.

Dang that food looks good, will I be able to cook it?

First and foremost I am a home cook, and I’ll be sure to make my recipes as ~cookable~ as possible. Some dishes require a little extra TLC and may not make for the best weeknight cooking project. However, the ultimate goal is for folks to feel inspired to have some fun in the kitchen and try cooking some Filipino food.

What are you going to write about?

Cooking, eating, culture, identity, history, family, being gay--it’s all a part of my experience as a home cook and that shows up in the food I make. Also, food is inherently political and Filipino-American cuisine is a reflection of centuries of colonialism and resilience (@Spain @USA), so my writing will include reflections on identity and politics, especially as a queer person of color in America. Things are about to get spicy.

Final Thoughts

Again, maraming salamat for supporting Kawali Made from the get-go! I can’t wait to grow and cook together here through this blog and hope to find community with y’all through some tasty food. Please slide into my DMs with any ideas, thoughts, or questions, I’d love to hear them. Let’s get this blog a’cooking! (Drag Race reference)