Publisher Mara Coson brings back books that should have never been lost

“Books like Sarap and Palayok, they’re just so important. We couldn’t ignore the call for them. Actually, maybe I also got tired of people asking me about Sarap,” said Mara with a laugh.

Doreen Fernandez, of course, is the celebrated writer (and a hero to so many of us) who spent 34 years of her life writing about Filipino food, while Edilberto Alegre is a poet, writer and researcher who chronicled Philippine culture. Sadly, Doreen died in 2002, and Edilberto passed away in 2009, and so the Exploding Galaxies team worked with their estates in republishing Sarap and Palayok.

Mara said, “I wouldn’t have done these books without their trust and support and their commitment to the legacy of these writers.”

Sarap, one of several books Doreen and Edilberto worked on together, was first published in 1988, while Palayok came out 25 years ago. Both are key classics in Philippine food literature and were treated with great respect in the process of their revival.

The new editions are a clear labor of love—with book designer Kristian Henson commissioning artists Gianne Encarnacion, Kitty Jardenil, Elle Shivers, and Eva Yu to create illustrations for Sarap, while Palayok, which was designed by Miguel Mari, features photographs by lensman Jilson Tiu.

Quoting Doreen and Edilberto, who wrote in their foreword to Sarap, “We confess to having had fun writing this book,” Mara said, “I confess to also having had fun making these books.”

That spirit of fun was on full display at the launch of the books, held across different spaces in Karrivin Plaza in Makati.

Live reading

At Why Not, on the fourth floor of Karirvin Studios, actor Bart Guingona was doing a live reading of “A Dissertation on the Philippine Roast Pig” from Palayok. “‘Forget cholesterol’ was the battlecry,” he said.

The reading was followed by a panel on the making of Palayok and Sarap with Mara, Kristian, Jilson and Edilberto’s son Lakan Uhay Alegre, and then a discussion on “Gastronomy, Different Dimensions, Origins” featuring chef Stephan Duhesme, slow food advocate Reena Gamboa, Raymond Macapagal, Gastronomy & Food Studies professor at UP, and entrepreneur and researcher Bea Misa-Crisostomo.

Copies of Sarap and Palayok flew off the shelves at Why Not. I quickly purchased both with the limited-edition slipcase.

On the fifth floor, at Archivo, artist and food historian Claude Tayag gave a talk called “Pagkain Walang Kwento, Walang Kwenta.”

There were exhibits as well—pottery at Why Not, palayok at Aphro, Philippine vinegars at Ritual, and at Archivo, one on the Mexican roots of Filipino cuisine curated by Claude.

Under Maintenance, the collab space by Everywhere We Shoot duo Ryan Vergara Garovs Garovillo on the 6th floor of Karrivin Studios, was transformed into the Exploding Bookshop—a special installation where people could buy the books and official artist merch. There was plenty to choose from—official Palayok and Sarap shirts that were a collaboration with Proudrace (I love their use of Jilson’s photos and how the book’s credits are printed on the back); Good Morning Towels also by Proudrace; pamaypay by Glorious Dias; Sarap caps; placemats that are a collab with The Olive Tree; riso prints by Ipo-Ipo Projects; temporary tattoos; furoshiki scarves and table runners. Stickers were also being given away as freebies.

On the same floor, at Artbuds, guests painted their own grocery bags—limited-edition palengke totes—and Manam and The Moment Group served small bites: kesong puti spring rolls, sisig on crunchy garlic rice, and kare-kare at bagoong on phyllo crisps.

Special ‘merienda’ and street party

I headed to the second floor of Karrivin Studios where Stephan’s Automat was serving a special merienda along with a cocktail special. There were three food items on the menu and I ordered them all: tinapa and chili deviled egg, homemade kesong puti with longganisa on pandesal, and “pork ball tusok-tusok,” which turned out to be my favorite. That Pinoy-style curry sauce was divine.

Over at The Alley at Karrivin, there was a mid-afternoon Papi Jepe street party by Toyo Eatery. There was longganisang Lucban, kansi, fish balls, tocino sandwiches, palapa sa puso, budbod kabog ug tsokolate, samalamig, and kamote cue that some guests declared “life-changing.”

Brujo served free beer, Lick offered a special coffee flight, Three Squares Cafe + Bar had a coconut latte, while Underbelly was serving a special sinigang ramen just for the occasion.

In Sarap, Doreen and Edilberto had written, “We invite our readers as well to join the voyage: we want readers who cook, who like to eat, who enjoy reading about cooking and eating, who are curious about the subtext beneath our food.”

There were many of them at the launch, eager to get their hands on the books—chefs, foodies, writers, artists, lovers and advocates of Philippine culture.

At the well-attended event, Sarap and Palayok were brought to life through explorations of taste and thought. It truly is the best book launch I’ve had the pleasure of attending—an absolutely delicious experience. I mean, at which other book launch would you find chef Jordy Navarra handing out banana leaf squares so he could serve you pancit habhab?

It was great to see so many people come together to celebrate the works of Doreen and Edilberto, and the food and culture that they so loved.

I walked away, belly full, my Exploding Galaxies tote stuffed with books and merch on my shoulder, and a huge smile on my face, imagining that had they been here, Doreen and Edilberto would have loved it—all of it.

* * *

The books will be available at www.explodinggalaxies.com, in select branches of National Book Store, Fully Booked, Kultura, Mt. Cloud Bookshop in Baguio, and Everything’s Fine in Makati. The set with the slipcase will be available on the Exploding Galaxies website until stocks last.