Newest additions to the Halina Filipiniana library: Doreen Fernandez titles released by Exploding Galaxies
Issue #19
This newsletter issue is essentially just a book haul flex. Last week, I bought Exploding Galaxies’ re-release of a couple of the late Doreen Fernandez’s long out-of-print titles, Palayok: Philippine Food Through Time, On Site, In the Pot; and Sarap: Essays on Philippine Food.
I really admire Exploding Galaxies’ mission. Any publishing house reintroducing Philippine literature’s “lost classics” to a newer and wider audience automatically gets my support. I have been meaning to get my first Exploding Galaxies title for a while. Now, I have two! As a big Doreen Fernandez fan, getting the pair was a no-brainer.
For the uninitiated, Fernandez was a teacher and cultural historian, but she was best known for writing extensively on Filipino food. She has been described as “the most pivotal figure of Philippine gastronomy.”
“Someone like Doreen Fernandez… no matter what age you are, the way she writes will always be timeless. Reading her now… it’s almost like she’s still talking to you today.” - Mara Coson, Exploding Galaxies publisher
“Her words are just as relevant now as they were then. Especially now, when there’s this obvious lens on Filipino food, cuisine, and culture.” - Kristian Henson, Exploding Galaxies designer
With the addition of Sarap and Palayok, our library now includes five Doreen Fernandez titles!
✅ Palayok: Philippine Food Through Time, on Site, in the Pot
✅ Sarap: Essays on Philippine Food
✅ Tikim: Essays on Philippine Food and Culture
✅ Fruits of the Philippines
✅ Kinilaw: A Philippine Cuisine of Freshness
I’m still on a quest to find a copy of her other books, of course. Maybe Exploding Galaxies will have those titles lined up as well? 👀
In the meantime, I’ll savor these books!
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Love this. I have Tikim and the 2 re-prints from Exploding Galaxy as well - beautifully published! Can’t wait to read more of them.