Before candied bacon ever became a thing, Filipinos had liempo-cue rich, fatty cubes of pork belly threaded onto skewers, grilled over an open flame and brushed with a sticky-sweet glaze usually made from cola or lemon-lime soda. In place of soda, my version of liempo-cue relies on ginger beer not only for sweetness, but for a spicy, gingery bite as well. I also find that the addition of coffee and molasses provides a depth of flavor that plays well with the smoke from the grill.

Kinilaw is an indigenous Filipino dish of incredible freshness, usually (but not always) featuring morsels of raw seafood quickly bathed in native vinegar, citrus, or both, and then garnished with any number of sinus-clearing, palate-awakening aromatics and spices including ginger, green onions and chilies.

The devil is in the details especially in the case of these deviled eggs. With a creamy filling brightened by calamansi juice and spiced with fiery hot sauce, the eggs are given a final flourish with an umami-bomb topping of crunchy toasted breadcrumbs, garlic and fermented shrimp paste. You absolutely will not be able to eat just one.