Kapampangan mother, and food reigned supreme in our household. Way before traffic became a Metro Manila plague, we would drive all over Manila for family food trips.
When I turned 17, my mom decided that eating well was not enough. My sisters and I were enrolled with the Reynoso sisters. Sylvia Reysono Gala taught us the basics, then we graduated to Japanese, Chinese and Korean cooking with her. Lorrie Reynoso, who eventually became a close friend, taught us French cooking.
I remember learning how to prepare authentic spaghetti carbonara from Gina Lollobrigida, no less. She was our house guest in the ’70s, when she was doing a book on the Philippines. Our family BFF K…
Keep on reading: Food once made only for senator’s guests can now be enjoyed by many