A lot us have precious memories about cooking, sharing, and eating meals with the people we love. Maybe it’s waking up on Sunday mornings knowing that lola is baking pan de sal and making breakfast. Maybe it’s coming home from a long day at school or work and being greeted by the smell of dinner cooking on the stove. Or maybe it’s when you’d be feeling down or sick and someone would make you that soup that you’ve been craving for.
Whatever it is, it is easy to see why the kitchen is the heart of every Filipino home. It holds our fondest memories and keeps the histories of our families—our triumphs and tragedies, our loves and losses.
The endurance of ages
Ann Puno raised her children on home cooking. Back then, she was just a simple housewife with an amazing talent for baked goods, and her children must have grown up relishing homemade meals, occasionally paired with her amazing desserts.