The food that raised us

Mama's Adobo t-shirt design — Manila Classic, Simmered low & slow

Adobo · Philippines

Mama's Adobo

Simmered low & slow

Tee + long sleeve · available now

Colours

White · Natural

Sizes

S · M · L · XL

Unisex fit. If you are between sizes, or you want a roomier look, take the larger one. Full measurements are on the Etsy listing.

Short-sleeve tee · available now

$33 S–L · XL $35

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Long sleeve · available now

$43 S–L · XL $45

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Payment, delivery and returns are handled by our Etsy shop, where current production and shipping times are shown before you order. Shirts are printed for you after you order rather than held in stock.

Fabric and fit
Unisex cotton tee with a regular fit and set-in sleeves. The exact garment weight and blend for each size and colour are listed on the Etsy listing, which reflects the stock actually used for your order.
Print and care
A two-colour composition drawn in the studio. Wash cold inside out, tumble dry low, and don't iron directly over the print. The studio kitchen recipe is printed on the back; care for that print in the same way.
Delivery and returns
Made to order and dispatched by our production partner. Etsy shows the current delivery estimate for your address at checkout and handles any return or replacement.
The recipe
Every design has its recipe and, where we have gathered one, its story — free to read here, no purchase involved. Open the card library.

The back: the studio kitchen recipe

MAMA'S

ADOBO

THE STUDIO KITCHEN VERSION

Manila Classic · Serves 6 · Better Tomorrow

The studio kitchen version — ingredients and method — is printed on the back of the shirt. This is not a contributed family recipe card. A dish to wear, and a recipe to keep close.

Ingredients

  • 3 lb chicken thighs
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup cane vinegar
  • 1 head garlic
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp black peppercorns
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil
  • 1 white onion
  • Steamed jasmine rice, for serving

The method

  1. Marinate the chicken in soy and garlic for 1 hour.
  2. Sear skin side down with the onion and garlic until golden.
  3. Pour in the vinegar and wait 5 minutes — do not stir.
  4. Drop in the bay, peppercorns and water.
  5. Simmer low and slow for 40 minutes, lid on.
  6. Reduce until the sauce clings to the spoon.
  7. Serve over rice — and save some for tomorrow.

Simmered low & slow

The story behind the shirt

Studio kitchen version · not a contributed family recipe or memory

A pot left on the back burner all afternoon, the smell of vinegar and bay finding you in every room of the house.

Why this dish matters

Vinegar, soy, garlic, peppercorns and bay. No two families agree on the ratio and every one of them is right.

What “Simmered low & slow” means

"Simmered low & slow" — the only shortcut is to make it the day before.

How the design was made

The dish is drawn in the studio's own line style rather than photographed, and set with the kitchen it comes from and the line said while serving it. Names, spellings and regional detail are checked before anything is printed.

Read the full story

The recipe card

Recipe card · Philippines

Mama's Adobo

The studio kitchen version of Adobo, written so it can be cooked from. This is not a contributed family recipe card.

Serves 6 · Better tomorrow

  • Sear first — skin side down until golden.
  • Pour in the vinegar, then wait five minutes before you stir.
Philippines · Card front · 1 of 2

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