Bongga Sa Kusina – Recipes From Sarap Diva – Cookbook Review

I got curious of this cookbook Bongga Sa Kusina by Regine Velasquez kaya I bought it. I love watching cooking shows especially if the hosts are celebrities I adore. Feeling ko, it puts them into a level na I can reach them and that we have something in common. When I am able to cook their dishes, I feel I get much closer to these celebrities. 😋

The recipes curated in this cookbook was from Regine’s TV show Sarap Diva. Sadly, I wasn’t able to watch any of the episodes of Sarap Diva because I’m not much of a tv watcher, but I’m sure her show was good. Regine’s a natural in hosting and she has this comedic flair like Ogie. And syempre, Ogie Alcasid is also my husband’s all time favorite. We always watch Ogie on his Bubblegang days. Thinking of Ogie and Regine makes me feel so at home with this cookbook. I don’t care if there’s any connection with them being a couple from me buying this cookbook, I just felt good thinking that Regine is able to make Ogie and her son Nate happy through the foods that she prepare for them.

Fan or not, you’ll enjoy reading this cookbook. It’s not the usual type of cookbook that you will just put on your shelf and get it when you want to find a recipe to use. It’s the type that you’d want to put in the side of your car and read while traveling (except if you are the driver) because of the trivia and funny anecdotes.

Alden Richard’s Special Paksiw na Lechon

Regine’s Tapa Fabulosa

Regine made the book relatable as she put notes about how she likes the cook prepared for her family. What I liked about her as the author is that she doesn’t brag. She is humble to tell the readers that she also learned from watching cooking shows, reading cookbooks and then put her own twists on the food she cook. We are both fans of Nigella Lawson, by the way, kaya I feel we are somewhat connected (chos!)

Bongga sa Kusina is a collection of recipes perfect for homecooks who like to try recipes with easy-medium complexity. Each of the recipes are categorized as Great Appetizers, Good For Family Meals, Good For Special Occasions, and Good For Parties.

Cristale Belo Henares Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’ve tried one of Regine’s easier recipes, Broccoli and Cheese Soup which I think was a success. The great thing about the recipes also is that the ingredients are local, and they made use of different spices which I like. I like spices in food and there are so many kinds of spices to try out there. By following recipes in this cookbook, you’ll have lots of opportunity to taste different spices.

My version of Regine’s Broccoli and Cream Soup

Aside from Regine’s recipes, 33 celebrities also shared their own recipes in this book. (e.g Marian Rivera, Jaclyn Jose, Gina Alajar and male stars too ). Notable recipes for me are Marian’s talaba tempura, her husband’s recipe Dingdong’s adobong balut, another celebrity idol of mine Heart Evangelista’s chicken pesto pasta, and then dessert recipes from Cristale Belo Henares (chocolate chip cookies) and Joyce Ching (graham cookies and cream in a jar).

I don’t know how to end this review but all I can say is browsing through all the recipes while I write this blog post makes me hungry and I can’t wait to be in the kitchen to try a new recipe.

Bought this cookbook from National Bookstore for P395. So worth it!

You may also read my review of Pokwang’s Patikik Pokie! A Hugot Cookbook and More… Ganern