It was a celebration of great food and great friendship during the recent launch of Australian-Filipino food and travel writer, photographer and cookbook author, Yasmin Newman’s Under Coconut Skies: Feasts an Stories from the Philippines at SM Aura Premier.

The event, organized by the Australian Embassy and the Australia Global Alumni in the Philippines, brought together members of the Filipino-Australian community, alumni and corporate executives.

During the afternoon reception at the mall’s Skypark, Visum Ventures founder and chief executive officer John Michael Hilton, also a Filipino-Australian, joined Newman in preparing kinilaw na isda using kalamansi and Australian finger lime. Broadcast personality and Australian alumnus Martin Andanar hosted the program. They were welcomed by SM’s Millie Dizon.

Under Coconut Skies is Newman’s second Filipino cookbook. The book is a celebration of the Philippines and its food, and takes her readers on a journey to discovering classic Filipino dishes through stunning photographs and unique culinary traditions, folklore and personal stories.

Australian Ambassador to the Philippines HK Yu PSM said: “One of the things that Filipinos and Australians share is our love for food — we love bringing people together to enjoy great food and have great conversations. We are delighted to have Filipino-Australian Yasmin Newman here in the Philippines to celebrate Philippine culinary heritage with the best of Australian products — a culinary fusion of the best of both countries.”

In the cookbook, Newman invites readers into her kitchen and into the homes of friends and locals, sharing traditional dishes and vegetarian and modern interpretations on the classics. From sizzling wild mushroom sisig, golden turmeric and cassia bark rice from the Muslim south and pork belly adobo to glistening candied kalamansi cake, Filipino food celebrates and satisfies all the senses.

Guests were seen enjoying the afternoon tea curated by Newman which featured well-loved Filipino dishes from her cookbook using fresh Australian ingredients, such as Tasmanian salmon with turmeric rice and ube pavlova.

As a proud ambassador of Filipino cuisine and Australian food products, Newman also shares her love for food and her Australian and Filipino influences in a series  of cooking videos called A Taste of the Philippines, produced by the Australia Philippines Business Council in partnership with the Australian Government.

In 2013, she also wrote and published her debut cookbook 7000 Islands: A Food Portrait of the Philippines.

Under Coconut Skies: Feasts and Stories from the Philippines is available on www.amazon.com