In the kitchen with Toni

MANILA, Philippines - With a string of box-office movies, platinum records and high-rating TV shows, Kapamilya actress Toni Gonzaga has no doubt lived up to her title as the Ultimate Multimedia Star. You would think Toni has already achieved all her goals, but the actress says otherwise. She recently revealed that there is still another craft that she has yet to conquer — cooking.

Toni shares, “I became interested in cooking because of my sister Alex. I would watch her prepare different dishes in the kitchen and I enjoyed looking at her finished products. I was fascinated with what she was doing so I began trying different recipes.”

“Then I received a gift from my boyfriend (director Paul Soriano) to attend a short culinary course and from then on hindi na nawala yung passion ko sa pagluluto.  

Asked what dishes she likes preparing, Toni says:

“Paiba-iba but right now, one of the dishes I enjoy making is carne frita. It’s so easy to prepare and at the same time full of flavor. It’s perfect for lunch or dinner or kahit kailan mo gusto kumain.”

“I also like baking, diyan kasi talaga ako nagsimula when I became interested in cooking. Some of my go-to recipes are red velvet and vanilla cupcakes, carrot cake and chocolate chip cookies.”

It seems Toni’s enthusiasm for cooking has served her well, even in her career as a media personality. Just recently, San Miguel Pure Foods Company, Inc. (SMPFC), one of the largest and most trusted food companies in the country, tapped her to host their newest cooking show.

Dubbed Kwentong Kusina, Kwentong Buhay,” the 10-episode reality show, which was launched last June on ABS-CBN, features inspiring real-life stories alongside mouth-watering dishes.

The program also features some of the country’s top chefs, including Chef Gene Gonzales, Chef Myrna Segismundo, Chef Claud Tayag and Chef Heny Sison. 

“What makes Kwentong Kusina, Kwentong Buhay different from the other cooking shows on TV is that aside from featuring dishes, we also tell the stories of inspiring people who have used cooking and food to cement their relationships or conquer great challenges in their lives,” she says.

Toni says that working with SMPFC has taught her that you don’t need expensive ingredients to make great-tasting, quality food. All you need is to be creative and have an open mind.

“After working with San Miguel Pure Foods and different culinary experts, I learned that being creative will take you a long way in the kitchen. Who knew that instant coffee mix would make a great marinate for beef ribs and corn? Or that banana and chicken liver wrapped in bacon would be so flavorful? These are just some of the ingenious tips I got from hosting the show.”

While she may be working with certified kitchen experts, Toni singles out her mom as one of her biggest influences in the kitchen.

“Anything my mom prepares is my comfort food. I love her pininyahang manok and spaghetti Bolognese, those are two dishes I hope to perfect someday. Another favorite is her sinigang; lahat ng klaseng sinigang masarap sa bahay kasi my mom uses real sampaloc to flavor the soup. When my mom cooks, it’s so full of love. Hindi talaga tinitipid yung ingredients. Kada kain mo, talagang busog na busog ako. May labor of love talaga ’pag nagluto siya and that’s the technique I want to have whenever I’m in the kitchen.”

Toni also admits that apart from her mom and the local chefs she’s worked with, she also admires a number of international chefs.

“I like Ina Garten’s personality and how she is in the kitchen, Giada De Laurentiis for Italian cuisines and Nigella Lawson for pastries, cookies and other desserts. Another favorite is Bobby Flay for his skills on the grill. I want to eat at one of his restaurants the next time I’m in the US.”

So what’s next for Toni in the culinary world? She shares, “It’s actually a dream of mine to open a coffee shop. We’ll start with desserts, d’un sa mga nagagawa ko na, then eventually if I really want to put up a restaurant, I want to finish my course in Culinary Arts.”

Kwentong Kusina, Kwentong Buhay is now airing repeats every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. on the Lifestyle Network.