Our Kitchens, Ourselves
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“What is a Theresian?” It’s a student or graduate of STC, a respected all-girls school that, once upon a time, had campuses in Manila, Cebu, Quezon City, and Baguio. Today, Saint Theresa’s College encourages students to grow up as resilient, caring, and socially conscious men and women.
When STC was known as an exclusive girls’ school, you could look at it as a parochial school in the United States. The Theresian education earned a reputation for being special by combining academic excellence with compassion, service, and a strong moral compass. These values anchored Theresians as they grew their families and passed on their traditions -- including their favorite recipes.
A Treasure
For cookbook aficionados, Step into Our Kitchens is a treasure chest. Instead of just listing ingredients and instructions, the recipes are interwoven with anecdotes and stories—memories shared lovingly by the contributors. There are tips and hacks passed down from mothers and grandmothers, secret ingredients whispered between generations, and memories infused into every pot and pan.
Beyond food, Step into Our Kitchens also honors the life and work of Mother Marie Louise De Meester. Born in Belgium, she was the courageous nun who founded the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (ICM) and, by extension, Saint Theresa’s College in the Philippines. Her pioneering spirit, deep compassion, and dedication to education continue to inspire generations of Theresians today.
Written mostly by Theresians—and a few dear friends—this anthology has something for every taste profile. It doesn’t matter if you are Filipino or not. The heart and essence behind these stories and recipes are universal.
My Writing Process
As one of the contributors, how did I go about writing for this legacy cookbook?
Last summer, I was living in my off-grid mountain forest home in Mendocino County, California, when I chanced upon a Facebook post from Cecilia Manguerra Brainard calling for cookbook contributors. Since I was focused on writing a basic business guide for home-based food entrepreneurs—complete with a few recipes—her announcement felt serendipitous. It aligned perfectly with my desire to learn how to publish a book. I said “Yes” to Cecilia’s message.
I turned to my younger sister, Noemi Dado, who shares recipes on her food blog, PinoyFoodBlog.com, and asked her to send some of her favorites. A food technologist by training, Noemi now finds joy in her latest incarnation—as a Benguet-based, shade-grown arabica coffee farmer.
Noemi Dado, one of the cookbook's contributors, in her Benguet coffee farm.
Noemi and I have long made a habit of documenting our recipes as we test them in our kitchens. Her extensive recipe collection helped Cecilia identify categories we could include in the cookbook. After all, many of the contributors were eager to share their versions of Filipino classics—leche flan, adobo, pancit, bam-i, and humba.
“What recipes do I include?” I asked myself as I leafed through the food-stained pages of the notebooks I had started in 1976. “What would busy or lazy cooks and bakers want to know? What simple recipes would be perfect for a party?” My head spun with the possibilities.
One of my submissions, Pancit Bihon Guisado—Sautéed Rice Noodles—marks my triumph in finally mastering noodle perfection. I wrote in the preface: "I could never get the proportion of broth water to the bihon down pat. My cooked rice noodles always turned out mushy. After several years, I finally nailed it! There was no secret technique. I just had to cook the bihon in the flavored broth before adding the sautéed ingredients back into the wok."
Cecilia also invited me to write an essay about any food memory. I needed little time to choose my topic: “My culinary journey begins in a Filipino home bake shop.”
Reminiscing about my experiences in our family business was cathartic. I wrote during quiet afternoons, sitting in the shade of our second-floor balcony, overlooking a forest of redwood, madrone, and Douglas fir trees. As I listened to the songs of Pacific wrens and woodpeckers, I felt transported back in time—almost 60 years ago—to my childhood in Cebu.
I was 10 years old, washing a three-foot-high stack of chiffon tube pans in the “dirty kitchen,” and in a flash, I "teleported" to another scene: I could taste the pan de sal, fresh from the brick oven, and smell the yeasty aroma of the fermented “sponge” waiting on a nearby prep table—ready to be folded into the final dough.
As I wrote, more cherished memories surfaced, eager to be remembered. I was surprised—and proud—to realize how resourceful and determined I had been as a teenager and a young adult. I captured some of my “aha” moments in the kitchen and in life. I’d like to think I successfully shared the story of my culinary journey, one shaped by celebrations, tragedies, and everything in between.
I was 10 years old, washing a three-foot-high stack of chiffon tube pans in the “dirty kitchen,” and in a flash, I "teleported" to another scene.
An Excerpt From My Recipe Collection
My original recipe of "Ube-Macapuno Butter Mochi Cake" is included in Step into Our Kitchens: Theresian Recipes & Tales.
UBE-MACAPUNO BUTTER MOCHI CAKE
Lorna Dietz with her cake, with AI-generated background using Adobe Firefly
Yield: Two 8x8 inch square pans, three 8-inch round pans, or four 8.66x4.53x2.6 inch loaf pans
Ingredients:
4 eggs, at room temperature
16 ounces/1 lb. or 454 grams sweet rice flour (Mochiko brand preferred or any amylopectin-type/glutinous rice flour or malagkit flour)
1 teaspoon/5 grams salt or 1/2 teaspoon/2.5 grams pink Himalayan salt
2 teaspoons or 10 grams baking powder
340 grams macapuno in syrup (from a 12-ounce/340-gram jar)
340 grams ube halaya (from a 12-ounce/340-gram jar)
2 cans or 800 ml coconut milk (two 13.5-fluid-ounce/400 ml cans)
1 cup or 226 grams unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon or 5 ml ube extract
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a large bowl or a resealable plastic bag, mix the sweet rice flour, salt, and baking powder.
In a separate large bowl, beat the eggs until well blended.
Add the ube halaya to the eggs and mix until most of the lumps are gone.
Stir in the macapuno.
Gradually add the dry ingredients and coconut milk to the wet ingredients, alternating between them. (Think of adding the dry ingredients into four parts and the coconut milk into three parts.) Begin and end with the dry ingredients to prevent lumps.
Stir in the melted butter and ube extract.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pans (grease or line with parchment paper/waxed paper if desired).
Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool completely in the pans before cutting and serving.
Serving Suggestions:
Serve warm or at room temperature. It can also be refrigerated and served cold.
Dust with powdered sugar for an extra touch of sweetness.
Enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea.
Ube-Macapuno Butter Mochi Cake, fresh off the oven.
Tips:
If you can't find macapuno or ube halaya, you can substitute them with other fillings like sweetened jackfruit (langka) or mashed sweet potato.
For a richer flavor, use full-fat coconut milk.
Don't overmix the batter, as it can make the mochi tough.
Step Into Our Kitchens
Step Into Our Kitchens is a beautiful keepsake for anyone who treasures Filipino culture, history, and the timeless power of a shared meal. Published by the Vibal Group, this labor of love will be launched this June 2025.
Lorna Lardizabal Dietz is a Filipino community publicist and a cultural empowerment advocate. She is a member of the board of directors of the San Francisco Filipino Cultural Center.
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