Hello!

One of my earliest experiences about food is declaring chicken curry as my favorite dish when my parents took me to an Indian restaurant for my fifth birthday.  I have loved spicy food since then.  I have also nurtured a keen interest in different cultures as a result.  Food, I have found out is a great way to learn about other cultures.  By getting to know the ingredients of a culture's dishes, one can trace its history.  The other thing I love about food is the way it is shared and how memories are made with them.

 

I was born in the Philippines in the early 60s.  We moved to the US in 1970, and went back and forth until I settled in Los Angeles in 1985.  My mother had an interest in cooking and liked to try different dishes from different countries.  That interest was magnified in me as I joined the foreign students association in college which introduced me to many other different cultures.  My culinary journey really took off when I started cooking for my vegetarian boyfriend, now my husband.  As I responded to the challenges of creating tasteful vegetarian dishes with ethnic flavors, my knowledge grew.  I learned new skills and recipes by watching the Food Network on television, and by reading cookbooks and magazines.  My favorite magazine is Saveur!  Over the years my cookbook collection has grown, but now my focus is on ethnic cookbooks.  I love cooking for family and friends, and love more to learn try new recipes and master new techniques. 

 

I hope you will come with me as I journey through new experiences as well as recount past memories. Bon appetit!