Forest cooks

Forest cooks Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Forest cooks, Kitchen/Cooking, Auckland.

👨‍🍳 Young Chef-in-training
Forest & his sister Skye!

🎬 Page run, edited, and strictly supervised by Dad.

🍳 Watch us learn, cook safely, and smash milestones!

05/10/2026

🦑 EPISODE 88: 5-Minute Quick & Easy Squid Adobo (Adobong Pusit)! 🇵🇭🇳🇿✨

Forest kicked off dinner by telling Skye that squid guts feel like "jell-o" ("Ew, don't tell me that!" 😅), but after her first bite, Skye called it the best squid adobo ever! 😋

7-year-old Chef Forest showed how simple it is to clean fresh squid and whip up classic Filipino Adobong Pusit in under 5 minutes! Sautéed with garlic, onions, fresh lemon juice, fish sauce, black pepper, spring onions, and green chilies—then ladled over steaming hot white rice! 🦑🍚

🛒 Ingredients:

Fresh squid (cleaned and cut into rings)

Garlic & onions, chopped

Fresh lemon juice

Fish sauce (patis) & black pepper ("Achoo!" 🤧)

Spring onions & green chilies

Cooking oil

AucklandFoodies FilipinoCuisine KiaOra

26/09/2026

🥞 EPISODE 85: Early Morning Purple Ube Hotcakes! 🇳🇿✨

Chef Forest woke up early to make a special Sunday breakfast for the family using White King Ube Hotcake mix!

Skye made a pancake "kitty" and gave the dish a "10 on the yummymeter!" Even when Forest's pancake shapes turned out a little "weird," he knew exactly what to do: "Don't worry, we will give it to Ate Skye!" 😅💜

Best part? Little Chef Forest cleaned and wiped down his station all by himself when he was done! 🧹✨

🛒 Ingredients:

1 bag White King Ube Hotcake Mix

Melted butter

2 cups milk

1 egg

Butter & maple syrup (for topping!)

AucklandFoodies FilipinoCuisine KiaOra

26/09/2026

🍌 EPISODE 84: Crispy Caramel Turon (Filipino Banana Fritters!) 🇵🇭🇳🇿✨

Skye declared it the "best banana fritter ever!" before Forest asked if she'd finally pay at his future restaurant ("No!" 😅).

7-year-old Chef Forest ("I feel like Donkey Kong!" 🐒🍌) turned sweet *saba* bananas and jackfruit into the ultimate crispy snack! After wrapping and deep-frying them golden brown, Forest coated the rolls in a buttery brown sugar caramel glaze and sprinkled them with roasted sesame seeds for the most satisfying afternoon *merienda* crunch! 🍌✨

---

🛒 **Ingredients:**

* **Saba bananas** (peeled and sliced in half)

* **Jackfruit (langka)**, cut into strips

* **Lumpia / Spring roll wrappers**

* **Butter** & **1 cup brown sugar** (melted into caramel)

* **Roasted sesame seeds** (for garnish)

25/09/2026

🧄 EPISODE 83: Crispy Garlic Pork & Garlic Rice (Filipino Sangkutsa Style!) 🇵🇭🇳🇿✨

Skye couldn't even pick a favorite component on this plate, declaring: "My favorite is everything! I'll eat everything!" before calling it the best pork and garlic rice ever! 😋❤️

7-year-old Chef Forest ("If you're 7, you can do this!") broke out his brand-new Tefal stainless steel pan to cook Garlic Pork & Garlic Fried Rice using the traditional Filipino Sangkutsa cooking method!

Instead of raw frying, Forest boiled diced pork in water with plenty of fresh garlic, pork bouillon, black peppercorns, and chicken salt ("Achoo!" 🤧). Once the water evaporated and the pork rendered, he seared the cubes in their own garlic-infused oils until golden brown and crispy!

To finish, Forest deglazed the stainless pan drippings with a splash of water, tossed in cooked white rice, green spring onions, and liquid seasoning to soak up all that savory flavor—topping the whole dish with extra crispy fried garlic bits! 🧄🍚

🛒 The Clean Ingredients & Recipe:

The Crispy Garlic Pork (Sangkutsa Method):

500g pork shoulder/belly, cut into small bite-sized cubes

1 whole head of garlic, coarsely chopped

1 cup water (for boiling/rendering)

1 cube pork bouillon

1 tbsp whole black peppercorns

1 pinch chicken salt

1 splash olive oil (for extra crisping)

The Pork-Dripping Garlic Fried Rice:

2–3 cups cooked cold day-old rice

Fresh spring onions, chopped

1 tsp liquid seasoning (e.g., Maggi or Knorr)

Store-bought crispy fried garlic bits (for garnish)

22/09/2026

🌴 EPISODE 82: Traditional Filipino Biko (Sticky Coconut Rice Cake with Latik!) 🇵🇭✨

Skye started Episode 82 by pointing out the grid cuts on the tray and declaring, "This is the best biko ever!" after her very first bite!

7-year-old Chef Forest rocked his backwards cap ("I just wore this cap for no reason at all guys!" 🧢) to bake a classic Filipino kakanin: Biko!

First, Forest washed 3 cups of glutinous rice and cooked it until about 80% done. While the rice cooked, he got a mini-lesson in traditional Filipino culinary technique—simmering coconut cream in a hot pan until the oil separated to make homemade Latik (golden, crispy toasted coconut curds).

After straining the crispy latik, he combined coconut milk and dark brown sugar in the pan to melt into a rich, caramel sauce. Forest folded in the warm sticky rice, giving it a workout to stir until thick and coated ("It's hard mixing guys, but we can do it!"). He pressed it evenly into a glass dish, cut it into sweet serving squares ("I'm just seven!" when trimming the edges 😅), and sprinkled the toasted latik over the top!

🛒 The Clean Ingredients & Recipe:

The Sticky Rice: 3 cups glutinous (sticky) rice, washed and cooked in a pot until ~80% done.

The Crispy Latik Topping: 1 can coconut cream (simmered in a pan until oil separates and brown toasted curds form, then strained).

The Coconut Caramel: 1 cup coconut milk + 1 cup dark brown sugar.

The Method:

Cook washed glutinous rice until nearly done and set aside.

Pour coconut cream into a wok or deep pan over medium-high heat. Stir until the water evaporates, oil separates, and golden curds (latik) form. Strain the latik curds and set aside.

In the same pan, combine coconut milk and dark brown sugar until fully dissolved and bubbling.

Add cooked sticky rice to the sugar syrup and stir continuously until thick, sticky, and completely combined.

Transfer to a greased baking dish, press down evenly, cut into squares, and top with toasted latik!

AucklandFoodies FilipinoCuisine KiaOra

17/09/2026

🥟 EPISODE 80: Homemade Chicken & Shrimp Siomai (With a Chef Callout!) 🇵🇭✨

Skye opened the episode asking, "Why are these wrappers so weird?" while Forest rocked a top-knot bun—cracking a hilarious pun on dumpling wrappers versus rappers! 🎤🥟

7-year-old Chef Forest tackled a dim sum staple in Episode 80: Chicken & Shrimp Siomai! He pulsed dried shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and fresh prawns in the food processor, then folded them into seasoned chicken mince with sesame oil, an egg ("So soft, a soft one!"), chicken salt, and white pepper.

When it came time to pleat the dumplings, Forest made an accidental empanada first before attempting the open-topped siomai fold. Showing true chef humility, he put a direct callout to the pros on camera: "If any chefs are here to help me, would you help me? It's ugly, but it's still siomai!" 👨‍🍳 Dyno-steamed until juicy, dressed with soy sauce, fresh lemon juice ("Ooh sour!" 🍋), and crispy fried garlic, Forest summed up the final result with pure math logic: "Chicken + Siomai = YUM!" 🏆❤️

🛒 The Clean Ingredients & Recipe:

The Siomai Filling:

500g chicken mince

Prawns/shrimp, carrots, and rehydrated shiitake mushrooms (pulsed together in a food processor)

1 egg

1 tbsp sesame oil

Chicken salt & white pepper

Wonton / Gyoza wrappers

The Dipping Sauce & Toppings:

Soy sauce

Fresh lemon juice (or calamansi)

Crispy fried garlic bits

The Method:

Blend mushrooms, carrots, and prawns in a food processor until finely chopped.

In a large bowl, combine chicken mince, sesame oil, egg, chicken salt, white pepper, and the chopped veggie-shrimp mix. Mix thoroughly.

Spoon filling into wrappers, shape into open-faced siomai cups, and place in a steamer basket.

Steam for 15–20 minutes until cooked through.

Drizzle with soy sauce, fresh lemon juice, and top with crispy garlic! 🥟

FilipinoCuisine KiaOra

14/09/2026

🍗 EPISODE 79: One-Pan Sticky Citrus Honey Chicken! 🍊🇳🇿✨

Forest tried out a new catchphrase ("ONE PAN ONE YUM!" ☝️), but Skye wasn't having it: "That doesn't make any sense!" 😅 That is, until she took her first bite and admitted it was the best one-pan chicken ever! 🏆❤️

7-year-old Chef Forest put together the ultimate hassle-free weeknight meal packed with sweet and savory flavor. He crushed garlic ("I got the power!" 💪), chopped oranges ("I got it in 2/4!" 🍊), and coated juicy chicken quarters in soy sauce, orange juice, sesame oil, fresh coriander, salt, pepper ("Achoo!" 🤧), and a generous "3-second squeeze" of pure New Zealand honey.

After giving everything a sticky hand-mix ("It's sticky because of the honey I know!"), Forest arranged the chicken in a baking pan, poured the rest of the glaze over top, and baked at 180°C for 45 minutes—finishing on high heat for 10 extra minutes to get that skin beautifully caramelized and glossy! 🍊✨

🛒 The Clean Ingredients & Recipe:
The Meat: Whole chicken legs / quarters (thigh & drumstick attached)

The Citrus-Honey Marinade:

¼ cup soy sauce

½ cup orange juice & fresh orange quarters

1 splash sesame oil

3-second squeeze pure NZ honey

Crushed garlic ("I got the power!" 🧄)

Fresh coriander, salt, and black pepper

The Method:

Mix chicken and marinade ingredients together in a bowl and let sit for 30 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a roasting pan, pour over all the remaining marinade, and bake at 180°C for 45 minutes.

Turn the oven to high heat for an extra 10 minutes to crisp and caramelize the skin!

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves before serving over warm white rice! 🍚

Address

Auckland

Telephone

+64220747246

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Forest cooks posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Forest cooks:

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Category