LANGUAGE OF LOVE
Savor the succulence of this moodchanging comfort food.
Nina Daza-Puyat on taking on her dream project and keeping her mother’s legacy alive
The year was 1965. When culinary icon Nora Daza first came out with her cookbook, Let’s Cook With Nora, it quickly turned into a sensation, encouraging Filipinos to spend more time in the kitchen and prepare their meals with love. Daza won the hearts of many, specifically wives and mothers who were expected to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner (and maybe even merienda) for their families.
Fast forward to today, where there is a deepened interest in food and travel. In addition to this, ingredients have also grown to be more abundant. This is what led Nina Daza-Puyat and her team to think about updating her mother’s cookbook. True enough, DazaPuyat stumbled across ingredients that weren’t in the market anymore and long procedures written in paragraph form. She knew it was time. “What pushed me to do this is that firm belief that my mother would have wanted me to do the update,” she shares.
Daza-Puyat then took on the year-long project, which included retesting all 260 recipes in the book. “I felt that it was important that the recipes needed to be more relatable to today’s cook,” she starts. “We now have such a wide array of ingredients in the supermarkets and wet markets. It’s really a wonderful time for anyone to learn how to cook.”
Throughout the project, Daza-Puyat also went through moments of self-discovery. “While I had been cooking from the cookbook all my life, there were some recipes I was encountering for the first time. Most of them turned out to be good, but unfortunately, there were a handful that were underwhelming, so that’s when I decided to tweak a little,” she shares. Some of these recipes include Kilawin Librillo at Labanos, Batchoy and Cheese Chiffon Cake. One particular favorite of hers, now the Homemade Thin Crust Pizza, used to be named Pizza Pie. “I have my mother’s name and reputation to live up to so I made sure that I kept the highest standard when approving the final dish,” she adds.
Daza-Puyat’s six-year stint as editor-in-chief of Appetite Magazine certainly helped in preparing her for this project. “I learned so much about recipe development, kitchen testing, recipe writing, food photography, etc. I will forever be grateful to the late Sari Yap for giving me this opportunity. I met the most hardworking, creative, passionate people,” she shares.
These days, it is all too easy to pick up your phone and google whatever recipe you fancy. While there is certainly efficiency in this, Daza-Puyat reminds us of the beauty of a well-written cookbook, especially if it is made by somebody you trust. “Being able to actually leaf through the pages feels more like an authentic experience. You can write notes on the page and make the recipe more suitable to your taste. The cookbook feels like it’s yours, whereas an online recipe feels like it belongs to everyone,” she shares.
Daza-Puyat shares many wishes for the next generation of home cooks, and her efforts in updating her mother’s cookbook will definitely pave the way for them. “My wish for millennial cooks is that they will become more independent—whether through learning to buy ingredients in the wet market or prepping their own ingredients. This empowerment can also be achieved by cooking one good recipe at a time. Once they get positive feedback from family and friends, they will be encouraged to try cooking another dish,” she says.
The secret ingredient for successful home cooking? Curiosity. More than anything,
Let’s Cook With Nora empowers the Filipino reader to be bolder and more curious in the kitchen. “Even when my mom was in her 80s, she remained curious and excited to learn a new dish,” Daza-Puyat shares. Discovery then stems from this childlike curiosity, and from there, a desire to share this wonderful dish to those closest to your heart. Cooking is a love language, after all.
Here’s what can satisfy our intense cravings for our all time American favorites: the fail-safe, tender, high-grade steak served sizzling hot. Picture yourself dining out on a weekend afternoon over scrumptious food while reveling in the homey, comforting vibe of its rustic and laid-back interiors. Does that get your appetite rumbling? Good—because we are hungry, too.
With six branches in the metro, Blake’s Wings and Steaks continues to change the game for steak lovers. Now, enjoying a mouthwatering steak is readily accessible. While you can have a plate of steak all to yourself, it’s also best to share it with your friends.
Blake’s got its name from owner and general manager Joana Manalo’s Siberian Husky, which she received as a present on her 18th birthday. Over the years the restaurant has tweaked their menu to offer more diverse cuisine options, serving not just steaks but wings, ribs, salads, sandwiches, pastas and even pastries.
If you’re on the lookout for a good steak, Blake’s guarantees to satiate your palate. Their USDA Prime Rib Eye Steak (sizzling) is good for a group of two to three. Every slice of their well-seasoned steak oozes with juicy goodness and a well-rounded flavor profile. The USDA Prime Rib Eye Steak and the USDA High Choice Top Blade Steak Solo Plates are available at their Katipunan, Makati, and Ayala Malls Feliz branches. Adding to the selection of inviting sizzling steaks, Blake’s has a range of side dishes to complement your steak with.
When dining at Blake’s, I instantly found comfort in how they incorporated interesting flavors into their dishes. I never thought truffle honey could go well with grilled cheese and tomato soup until I had one at their Makati branch. The combination wasn’t overwhelming, despite the variety of flavors, and the textures were all on point. For Manalo and crew, ensuring that each new dish becomes a new favorite of their loyal customers is the ultimate goal. With that mindset, it’s clear that they’re on to something good.
For more information, follow Blake’s Wings and Steaks @ blakesph on Instagram and Facebook. Find them in Marikina, Katipunan, SM North EDSA, Makati, Ayala Malls Feliz and SM City Fairview