Love for food naturally runs through our veins. We talk about food all the time – sharing passed down secrets from our lolas, telling stories of how so-and-so’s Kare-kare won her mother-in-law’s heart, and even arguing whose chicken pastel or lasagna is better. The latest restaurants and the newest recipes are surefire topics that can start any conversation. Whenever a cooking show is out, our eyes are glued to the TV. Food magazines have taken advantage of this trend, and these have been flying off the shelves. And what our grandmas and mothers have been doing in their pastime is pretty much the same today – we tear pages off magazines, intently copying the ingredients flashing on the TV, and printing interesting recipes from the internet, then pasting them all in a notebook we call “my favorite recipes.” I can imagine famed food writer Ms. Norma Chikiamco doing the same thing. Travelling all over the world, meeting culinary gurus, discovering new ways in cooking – in short, being surrounded with food all the time as a profession – must have really made Ms.Norma, fondly called Omay, fill dozens of notebooks through the years. And true enough, Ms. Omay has a collection of scrumptious recipes up her sleeve.Last May 16, Ms. Omay invited Theo, the cookbook’s food stylist, and me, along with her friends and guests, to the book launch of her newest cookbook “The Recipes I Love” held at PowerBooks Greenbelt. Published by Anvil, the cookbook is reminiscent of what personal “cookbooks” are – the ring bind, clean pages, and spaces for notes looks like a dolled up notebook. Ms. Omay shares how the 60 dishes in her book are her personal favorites, many of which she has served in parties, family dinners, and small get-togethers. As much as she loves to share food, she also enjoys sharing how to make them. Some are easy, some requires more skill; but all are definitely heavenly. I particularly love the super easy chocolate cupcakes and the cold rice salad, which Ms. Omay gladly served to the guests along with her other best-rated dishes.
Ms. Omay has been known for her award winning story books, articles, and magazines. She currently writes for Philippine Daily Inquirer and has headed several cookbook projects here and abroad. But her book, “The Recipes I Love,” lets us take a peak to another side of Ms. Omay. Fun, cheerful, loving, passionate... These are just some of the things we’d find out about her as we bring to our own kitchens her well loved recipes she dedicates to everyone who has touched her life. Happy cooking!
Resultado Gourmet Designs Co. food styled the dishes in The Recipes I Love. For more information, contact Theo Zaragoza at 0916-740-83-19 or theo_zaragoza@yahoo.com. Check the company website – http://www.resultado.com.ph/.
By: Samantha Ramos-Zaragoza
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