Mother Chef

What Mother Lily wants, Mother Lily gets.

Years back when the Regal Matriarch thought of putting up her own Mother’s School of Child Development in front of her residence on Valencia St. in Quezon City (the school has already ceased operation), she took a special course in education in UP where she donated a chair. Running a school was not new to Mother Lily whose family (the Monteverdes) is behind UNO school in Binondo, Manila.

When she saw a vacant lot in Taal, Batangas, Mother Lily’s imagination was activated. Voila, a few weeks later she bought the lot and put up her own Taal Imperial Hotel & Resort.

 “You should never stop learning,” said Mother Lily who still runs the Regal Empire and the Imperial Palace Suites (on Timog-Morato Rotunda, Quezon City, now undergoing major renovation). “Never be afraid of change. You should always be open to new challenges and be ready for discoveries.”

Mother Lily blowing a single candle on her birthday cake as her husband, Remy Monteverde, and children (from left)Goldwyn (partly hidden), Dondon, Roselle and two grandchildren look on.

Mother Lily celebrated her 73rd birthday last Sunday, Aug. 19 (a day before FPJ would have also turned 73), with a grand party at Imperial Palace where she showed up in a chef’s attire, complete with a toque. Yes, Mother Lily has taken culinary classes under renowned chef Sau del Rosario (also the new food consultant of Imperial Palace) who prepared a wide array of gustatory delights (some shown on this page).

Again, the food business in not alien territory to Mother Lily who once built a Chinese restaurant called Mother China (a name courtesy of the late Douglas Quijano) on Pasay Road in Makati City.

Top to bottom: Prawn Gambas, Chorizo, Mushrooms and Olives... Chicken Galantina... Tender Lengua with Corn and Mushrooms... Smoked Fish Caper Sphagettini... Roasted Beef and Lechon.

“Whether producing films or cooking food, everything should be done with love and passion,” said Mother Lily.

Watch out. Next time you take breakfast, lunch, merienda or dinner at Imperial Palace, your meal might be whipped up not by Mother Lily but by Chef Lily. Burp, burp, burp!!!

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. You may also send your questions to [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos visit www.philstar.com/funfare. or follow me on www.twitter/therealrickylo.)