BOOKS : Hot Fusion : PACIFIC CROSSINGS <i> By Lily Gamboa O’Boyle</i> ; <i> Acacia Corp: $35, illustrated in color, 192 pp.</i>

Lily Gamboa O’Boyle is a crusader--and a remarkably slim one, considering her cause. O’Boyle is out to get attention for an unsung cuisine--that of the Philippines. Of all Asian cuisines, this one is the least publicized and the most elusive. In the United States, it thrives in homes, not restaurants.

In 1988, O’Boyle produced a stunning book, photographed in the islands, called “Philippine Hospitality.” This year she has come up with a sequel, “Pacific Crossings.” The new book highlights the work of 10 contemporary Filipino chefs.

Two of them joined her in November for a weekend of book-signing at Duet restaurant in Glendale. They were Nancy Reyes, whose family has operated the Aristocrat, one of the best known traditional restaurants in Manila, and Sandy Banks, one of the bright young stars of Filipino cooking. Duet’s chef-owner, Andre Guerrero, also from the Philippines, organized the event as part of his own campaign to promote Filipino food.

When the Aristocrat closed in October after 58 years of operation, customers responded with vigorous protest. But the restaurant will reopen after revamping, says Reyes, who left the Aristocrat to operate a chocolate truffle business.

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Banks is the son of Nora Daza, prominent cookbook author and restaurateur. Banks recently collaborated on the menu for Daza’s restaurant in Paris, Aux Iles Philippines. He now operates a Thai fast-food restaurant that Daza opened in Manila in 1989. Her previous restaurant there, Au Bon Vivant, closed in 1988.

According to Reyes and Banks, fusion cooking has caught on in the Philippines. O’Boyle’s book acknowledges this with dishes such as baked mussels with pesto and mozzarella cheese, prawns and fish roulade in saffron beurre blanc, and fiddlehead ferns with ginger and coconut.

Mediterranean cooking is another important trend. “Our seafoods lend themselves to it,” Reyes says. Both trends are encouraged by young chefs who trained abroad and want to apply Western techniques to local ingredients.

In the 1980s, bistros were the vogue in Manila. Now all-you-can-eat restaurants have taken over, some offering such luxuries as Black Angus beef and Peking duck at incredibly low prices. The gimmick is, if you don’t clean your plate, you pay twice the price.

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Traditional Filipino food is thriving too, and O’Boyle includes such hearty old-style recipes as short ribs with mongo (mung beans). Adobo , a stew regarded as the national dish, rates an entire chapter. Along with Malay- and Spanish-influenced versions, there’s hamburger adobo, in which the conventional seasonings are mixed with ground beef. A chapter devoted to barbecue includes Reyes’ pre-war chicken barbecue, so-called because the marinade contains molasses, which went out of fashion after World War II.

O’Boyle, who left the Philippines 16 years ago, now lives in New York. These recipes, prepared by the guest chefs at Duet, are from her book--with some alterations. At Banks’ suggestion, the short ribs usually cooked with mongo were replaced by ox tails to produce a richer broth. Reyes used pork instead of chicken in the pre-war barbecue. Her recipe for sweet peppers, with an unusual stuffing of cheese, nuts and raisins, reflects her admiration for American peppers, which are meatier than those grown in the Philippines.

BELL PEPPERS NANCY

2 medium sweet red peppers

2 medium sweet yellow peppers

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

3/4 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

3/4 cup raisins

6 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Rinse and core peppers. Cut lengthwise into quarters and remove seeds. Set aside.

In food processor, blend cheese, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, mayonnaise, butter, walnuts, raisins, garlic, Worcestershire and mustard, scraping sides of processor bowl, until well combined.

Stuff pepper quarters with cheese mixture, about 2 tablespoons in each. Place on lightly greesed baking sheet. Sprinkle each quarter lightly with remaining 1/4 cup bread crumbs.

Bake at 425 degrees 14 to 16 minutes, or until topping is golden brown. Serve immediately. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

391 calories; 361 mg sodium; 54 mg cholesterol; 29 grams fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams protein; 0.69 gram fiber.

BEEF SHORT RIBS IN MONGO

1 cup dried mung beans

2 pounds beef short ribs, cut between bones and into 2-inch pieces

1 quart water

Beef broth

1 tablespoon corn oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 tablespoons bagoong alamang (Filipino shrimp paste)

1 1/2 tablespoons patis (Filipino fish sauce)

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups fresh leafy green vegetable such as spinach or Swiss chard

Cover mung beans with warm water and soak overnight in pot.

Place ribs in large pot. Add water and 1 1/2 cups beef broth. Cover and boil 1 1/2 hours. Skim fat from broth. Set ribs and broth aside.

In large, heavy bottomed pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and saute until transparent. Stir in bagoong. Add mung beans and 3 1/2 cups reserved broth and simmer 20 minutes. Stir in patis and pepper. Add short ribs and simmer until ribs are heated through. Add vegetable and stir 1 minute. Serve immediately. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

492 calories; 807 mg sodium; 54 mg cholesterol; 29 grams fat; 34 grams carbohydrates; 25 grams protein; 2.71 grams fiber.

PRE-WAR CHICKEN BARBECUE

1/3 cup light molasses

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon peppercorns, crushed

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1 (3 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into 10 pieces

In large bowl mix molasses, lime juice, peppercorns, soy sauce and sugar. Add chicken pieces and toss to coat with sauce. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours, turning occasionally.

Bring chicken to room temperature 20 minutes before cooking. Drain chicken, reserving marinade. Place chicken in roasting pan. Broil 6 inches from heat source until golden brown, about 15 minutes, then bake at 350 degrees, basting with reserved marinade, until juices run clear when meat is pierced with tip of sharp knife, about 11 to 13 minutes for breasts and 16 to 18 minutes for thighs and legs. Turn to brown both sides. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

525 calories; 816 mg sodium; 152 mg cholesterol; 31 grams fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 39 grams protein; 0 fiber.

Note: If desired, season chicken to taste with salt.