My passion for food started when I was a child. Food was and is still a big part of the Filipino culture.

 

I learned the relationship between love and food from watching my parents and both my Lola and Nanay cook in the kitchen.

 

I remember my dad would come up with some of the craziest but tastiest stuff out of nothing. One time, he sauteed canned Ligo sardines with tomato paste to use as a sauce for our spaghetti. He topped it off with onions and a squeeze of lemon juice. It was so good! 
 

During the summers, I would stay at my grandparents in Salinas. They worked on the farms packing vegetables. I remember the aroma of freshly picked green onions, cabbage and broccoli when I would hug them when they would get home. 

 

I remember my Tatay and Nanay working side by side making homemade Filipino pastries, Ensaymada and Hopia, for their grandchildren to take home. This would be an all day of prepping and baking. There would be grocery bags of them in the end. When my Tatay passed away, so did the pastries. It was something they did together out of love and I will never forget it!

 

I was grateful then and forever grateful now.