As I child, I almost burned down our family kitchen after accidentally setting a table napkin on fire. After that, I wasn't allowed near the stoves and I didn't really learn how to cook until I moved out of the house. I've been experimenting with different types of cuisine, but am currently studying the traditional recipes passed down from my grandmother. Since I learned how to cook outside of our home, my take on my family's Southern Tagalog recipes is really different from what my mom makes. My food is influenced by the different places I've lived in and the people I've met.