One of the nicest birthday gifts I received from a student was a chekich, the traditional bread stamping tool used for Uzbek bread. I have long wanted to go to Uzbekistan to learn more about the bread and collect the proper tools used in making it, so receiving one made me incredibly excited. I immediately made Uzbek bread and was finally able to use the wooden press I had bought years ago at a flea market in Paris.
What made the experience even more meaningful was finally having the one tool I had been missing all this time, the chekich. With the tools I now have, I enjoyed experimenting with different bread designs and patterns, making me appreciate even more the beauty, craftsmanship, and tradition behind Uzbek bread.
For tomorrow’s Mother’s Day celebration, I decided to refresh the floral décor at Deo Gracias using dried flowers I picked out from Dangwa Flower Market. I asked two of our staff members, one from FOH and one from BOH, to help me with the arrangement, giving them creative freedom while guiding them along the way. Our bakers also prepared Magdalena cookies to welcome all the mothers dining with us tomorrow. It was a simple team effort to make the restaurant feel a little warmer and more special for Mother’s Day.
My Modern Camembert has reached this stage after careful flipping, a pH of 5.3, and light salting, guided by what I learned from my French teacher, Paul Albert. It’s now ready to rest in the fridge for the next 1–2 months, slowly developing its texture and flavor. During the first week, I’ll gently wash the rind with brine to guide the process. It’s a quiet, patient stage, one I always find worth the wait.
Freshly made mozzarella, still soft and milky from the whey, is a simple reminder of how milk can transform into different textures with time, care, and technique. From soft cheeses like mozzarella, to semi-soft varieties, and all the way to aged hard cheeses, each stage has its own character and use in the kitchen. I’ll be sharing this process in my upcoming Artisan Cheese Making at Home at Heny Sison Culinary School, along with its everyday applications from fresh salads and pasta to baked dishes and simple home cooking where each type of cheese plays its part.
After a little over three weeks of air-drying and daily salted water brushing, I finally gave in and waxed my Gouda, just a tad late, but still looking beautiful. Now begins the real test of patience: aging it for 3–4 months with regular turning… or trying (and struggling!) to hold out for 6–9 months for that deeper, nuttier flavor. Let’s see if I have the discipline. 🧀
The final day of my baking demo with a group of Indonesian bakeshop owners felt like a quiet celebration of Filipino flavors: Pineapple Pie, Ube Cake, Ensaimada, Coconut Macaroons, Coffee Crunch, Cassava Cake, Lemon Torte, and Pistachio Sans Rival, all coming together on one table. It reminded me of a moment during a past demo in Indonesia when a participant proudly handed me a box of Mamon, sharing that he had learned it from me during their visit to my cooking school. I also recall visiting a bakeshop in Bandung with a long queue for brownies and I even told my staff that they tasted like my brownies, and I was pleasantly surprised to learn from the owner that it was indeed my recipe, which she had learned from one of my demos. Moments like these remind me how food becomes a bridge, carrying our stories and flavors beyond our borders, and in its own way promoting our country. I look forward to welcoming the next batch this coming May.
Back to my elements after a short and refreshing break.Nothing feels quite like being in the kitchen again.Today’s Bread Baking Workshop reminded me why I love what I do: the rhythm of kneading, the magic of fermentation, and the joy of sharing it all with eager hands and hearts. So grateful to be back.
White- rind cheese in the making!
First time using kefir, along with raw cow’s milk and rennet, in my Camembert & Brie and it’s working beautifully.
Alone in the kitchen, music playing, quiet moments like this are perfect for trying recipes I’ve been dreaming of.
Camembert in 2 months, Brie in 3… let the rind bloom.
First time stepping into a baking class—and what a way to begin. 🍪✨
Grateful to learn from Chef Heny Sison in “The Anatomy of Chocolate Chip Cookies”—where every gram, every technique, and every detail truly matters.
It’s more than just baking cookies… it’s understanding the science, the craft, and the passion behind every bite.
Definitely just the beginning. 🤎
#BakingJourney #ChocolateChipCookies #ChefHenySison #FromScratch #WTBakes
When conceptualizing a dessert buffet, I begin by understanding the client’s theme and mood to guide the overall setup, then curate a balanced selection of desserts with varied flavors, textures, and colors.
This spread featured Filipino, Spanish, and French petit four sec, including pastillas de leche, caramel-coated yema, San Nicolas cookies, chocolate pralines, Opera slices, and macarons in calamansi, café barako, kirsch, and framboise. The mother of the bride also took the time to visit my shop to personally view the mock-up, which I truly appreciated. It was a pleasure collaborating with Antonio Garcia @antoniovkg@maboloflower and @folio_studio1 .
