In the Kusina

Available April 2025 – pre-order now!

A brightly flavorful, artfully presented celebration of chef and tastemaker Woldy Reyes’ heritage, featuring more than 100 recipes for classic Filipino dishes updated to be lighter, fresher, and vegetable-forward.

Growing up in Southern California as a first-generation Filipino American, Woldy Reyes felt like an outsider, always straddling two worlds. At home, his family ate adobo with rice, gathered in the kitchen to roll lumpia, and roasted a whole goat in the backyard to make kalderetang kambing (celebratory goat stew). At school, all he wanted was Lunchables and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. It wasn’t until he discovered the power of food as a means of connection – to strangers and friends, to his heritage, and even to himself—that he began cooking in earnest and sharing his story through the dishes he made. His signature style, now beloved by his catering clients in New York City and beyond, highlights classic Filipino food but with a focus on local, seasonal produce and artful presentation.

In the Kusina is Woldy’s story told through a collection of vibrant, vegetable-forward recipes and his distinct lens as a queer Filipino American. These aren’t your lola’s traditional dishes; here, Filipino tastes and techniques are reimagined for a new generation of home cooks, resulting in a trove of elegant and boldly flavorful recipes organized by season.

ISBN 9781797227849

280 pages, 254 x 184 mm