Donita Rose: From acting to cooking
She was an actress and an MTV VJ. But now, Donita Rose is a culinary superstar. Rose, Chef Boy Logro’s co-host in GMA’s Basta Every Day Happy, was recently introduced as the newest ambassador of Jolly Canola Oil. But Rose is not just a celebrity endorser. She completed a degree in Culinary Arts from The Academy for International Culinary Arts (AICA) in 2012.
Together with representatives from her alma mater AICA, Rose dropped by Cebu and shared her favorite recipes to the Cebuanos—Binagoongang Pork Adobo, and Salmon with Cilantro and Avocado Salsa. She demonstrated her cooking skills last Oct. 4 at the Active Zone of Ayala Center Cebu.
During the show, Rose vibrantly showed her culinary skills, moving comfortably in the makeshift kitchen while entertaining her audience with her witty jokes. Unknown to most people, Rose is a wellversed chef having practiced her degree immediately after graduating from AICA. Rose worked in Crowne Plaza Hotel Manila and then moved to Las Vegas to learn various cuisines like Italian, Japanese and even gourmet Filipino.
After showing people two of her favorite easy recipes, Donita Rose admitted during an interview that her passion in cooking stemmed from her perfectionist attitude. “Nobody can teach passion. I’m so passionate about cooking that when I taste food, I always feel like there’s something lacking. I’m very hard to please, which is both a good thing and a bad thing. If someone takes me out to dinner, I always feel like I can do better. It’s not that I’m being mayabang (boastful). I just have this instinct. That’s why I took up culinary classes because every time I eat, hindi mo ako ma-pi- please (you can’t please me) and I can’t describe it but there’s something kulang (lacking). Like I know I can do better. Tapos nung nag-aral na ako, alam ko na (And when I was studying, I knew). And then in my mind, I already know what I want. I already see what it looks like in my plate. It’s that vision, the foresight. You already know what it tastes like so that’s why I know I’m meant to be a chef. So that’s why I know I’m made for cooking talaga because I can already taste it even before I make it.”
Rose, 41, started acting in her teens. She was among the first Filipino-American actors during that time. What was most endearing about Rose then was her inability to speak the Filipino language. But that didn’t stop her from making films.
Rose was among the many stars in That’s Entertainment before she became an MTV VJ.
But Rose said her calling is culinary art and her second home is the kitchen. She believes that cooking is the best expression of one’s love for food. Rose said she never feels tired after work, even if she has been standing in front of the heat and the oil, or the pork and fish the entire day. It never feels like work, she said.
When asked about her plans, Donita shared that she’s taking things one day at a time. As of the moment, she’s focusing all her energy as the brand ambassador of Jolly Canola Oil.
“Right now, I want to focus on this Jolly project. I want to make sure na they’re so happy they’d want me to sign for the next 10 years. That’s my plan. They’re gonna be so in love with me that they’ll open a restaurant for me. Then the book will follow. My 10 years have been planned,” Rose said in jest.