In true Filipino time, I’m sharing some of my favorite eats from our last trip to the Philippines. Many of you know that Matt and I spent the holidays in Manila with my family. We had such a wonderful time and I was so happy for my husband to experience Christmas in the Philippines. Instead of cramming our vacation with an itinerary of plans to do and see and eat, we stayed and relaxed at home on most days, and on other days met up with dear friends and relatives. It was the best time with the best people and the best foods!

Breakfast at Home

Let’s start with my favorite meal and my most favorite thing to eat in the world: kesong puti, the Filipino version of buffallo mozzarella. Kesong puti (“white cheese”) is unlike any other cheese I’ve ever eaten – soft and creamy with the subtlest tang – and I have a life-long craving for it. I ate it pretty much every single day in the Philippines, with pan de sal (breakfast rolls) and tsokolate (hot chocolate) as seen in the top photo.
Another cheese and breakfast item I love is queso de bola (“round cheese”) which is a dutch edam cheese that became a Christmas tradition in the Philippines. It’s salty and crumbly and covered in red wax that makes it hard to cut and slice, but it’s such an iconic holiday food that no one ever minds. For breakfast, my family like eating it with ham and pan de sal. I also like grating it and using as a substitute for parm...