Jonathan Wing, Production Manager for FamilySearch, shares his family recipe story: Spending Time. Savoring Love.

Many dishes shared within my family are deeply rooted in Filipino culture. Everybody has their own version of these traditional meals, but naturally the ones my own family shared with me around the dinner table were the best.I have many vivid memories from growing up when I would help my mom prepare dinner. Mom was raising six kids, and to keep up, each of us was assigned a day to cook with her. I was responsible for helping Mom on Wednesdays.Mom did a wonderful job teaching us about dishes from her childhood in the Philippines. One of the recipes I remember learning was adobo. Our family was allowed to eat adobo using only our hands, and doing so was always fun! Spending this time together allowed us to do much more than feed our family—it helped us truly savor the love of our heritage.
Adobo
Ingredients
- 1 ½ to 2 pounds chicken thighs
- 1 cup white vinegar
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 3-4 large cloves garlic, crushed slightly
- ½ teaspoon peppercorns
Directions
- Trim fat from the meat on the chicken thighs and then dry with a paper towel.
- Combine all ingredients in a large pot.
- Stir gently to coat chicken in mixture and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer on low heat for 30–60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sauce should be thickened and glistening.
- Serve with rice. (A Crock-Pot can be used. Use ⅔ cup soy sauce instead. Before transferring to the crock pot, still pat chicken dry and bring mixture to boil on the stove.)
What foods do you remember from your childhood? Do you have any specific memories from a time you were enjoying a memorable meal with your family? Even food can be considered a part of your heritage because of the memories you associate with it and the ties it has to your family.
Check Out More of Our Favorite Family Recipes
Learn More about How Food Traditions Bring Families Together
At FamilySearch, we care about connecting you with your family, and we provide fun discovery experiences and family history services for free. Why? Because we cherish families and believe that connecting generations can improve our lives now and forever. We are a nonprofit organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To learn more about our beliefs, click here.