Alexis Convento

I come to understand my ancestral past by repeated stories that have been embellished over time or through family recipes that have been orally shared and lost in memory. Born 2nd-generation in the United States to a teenage mother, I fear the possibility that one day these roots—though inherently a part of me—will be weakened or lost over time. With these fears, the little that I know of my lineage, and as someone of the Pilipinx diaspora who is also a woman, brown, queer, and a migrant abroad, I actively work in the unearthing of these narratives: My recipe for Adobo includes as many aspects of the coconut to echo my family’s non-operating farm in the Philippines; I make my grandmother’s Lumpia Shanghai dish in honor of her sacrifice and migration to the USA in the 1960s. With these explorations, I wish to envision and build deeper relationships with home to pass on to future kin.

Sayote Slaw — Acidic, bright, and a touch floral; my own interpretation of a Thai green papaya salad, rooted in Filipino ingredients. Shredded chayote and mango pickled in coconut vinegar, topped with pink peppercorn.

Cooking and eating together has always been at the core of my Filipino American upbringing. As a child, I helped my grandmothers shred chicken for Pancit noodles and destem green beans for Pinakbet. As a teenager, my father—a formal culinary-trained chef—taught me the basics like how to hold a knife or make a roux. I know exactly how much water I need to cook rice by simply measuring with my finger. How I experiment and play in the kitchen today is influenced by fast-paced environments working in hospitality; staying organized, yet adventurous in choreography as a dancer; and working with scale and intention as a producer. Since moving from New York to Berlin in 2019, I’ve reflected on what brings me joy. I began a culinary artistic practice as Ulam by hosting Kamayan feasts based on the Manila Galleon Trade Route; I searched for Filipino ingredients such as kalamansi, coconut vinegar and Mang Tomas in Germany. I have been researching, making, and perfecting recipes of my own, with the hope to connect Filipino food and culture to the world, both at large and at a local scale.