The second you walked into my Grandma Cora’s house you smelled the fragrance of onions, ginger, and garlic sautéing. She was always swirling pancit noodles in her big pot and you could hear the music of the carrots and celery dancing as she added a splash of soy sauce. No matter what time of day – morning, noon, or night – Grandma always had [...] Keep Reading
cooking
Remembering Grandma Cora: Cooking Up a Legacy in the Kitchen
The second you walked into my Grandma Cora’s house you could smell the fragrance of onions, ginger, and garlic sautéing. She would swirl pancit noodles in her big pot and you could hear the music of the carrots and celery dancing as she added a splash of soy sauce.y No matter what time of day – morning, noon, or night – Grandma always had [...] Keep Reading
Book review: Taste and See
For more than 8 years, my husband and I hosted a Cooking Club at our home for 10 couples. We gathered monthly to try out recipes across various themes. Whether it was rolling fresh Italian pastas, hovering over salmon on the grill on a blazing summer day, or reading a detailed recipe for some French delight we couldn’t pronounce, it was always an [...] Keep Reading
Table talk: Savoring time around the table
My Italian mama made dinner time a special event. She was always in the kitchen stirring the sauce, putting my brother and me to work rolling meatballs, and stuffing manicotti shells for company. She instilled in us that meals were an opportunity to extend hospitality. My parents loved to invite friends from church, neighbors, and my friends from [...] Keep Reading
Instant Pot Filipino Garlic Fried Rice: A creative way to celebrate friendship
A few of my favorite things are good food and celebrating my people. A few months ago, my friend's husband enlisted me to help plan a 40th birthday party for her. Bev's desire was to gather together with a small group of girlfriends and cook up a fabulous dinner together. Then she wanted to invite the husbands to join us around the table to enjoy [...] Keep Reading
Italian Easter Bread: Anticipating the resurrection
When I was a little girl, I used to love to go to my Grandma Sara's house for Easter. When you walked in her kitchen anytime during Holy Week, you were greeted by the intoxicating aroma of fresh bread. Grandma would make a little braided loaf for each of us kids. Yep, that's right. A personal loaf for each of us. The best part was I didn't have [...] Keep Reading
