June 3, 2025
MANILA – Picture young girls in starched skirts, giggling and chattering under the watchful eyes of nuns. Years later, see how they’ve grown into ladies, lifelong friendships in tow. This is the typical trajectory of the alumnae of St. Theresa’s College, growing out of uniformed halls and into professional success, shaped by their solid Theresian education.
When one such alumna, award-winning author Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, set out to create a cookbook with her classmates, she didn’t expect it to become one of her most personal works yet.
At their 60th high school reunion, something unexpected happened. Despite the years that had passed, the refined ladies reverted to giggling teenagers, laughter echoing through the halls of memory. But beneath the joy, Brainard felt something else.
This was the seed of what was to become “Step Into Our Kitchens: Theresian Recipes and Tales,” a cookbook that not only serves up more than a mere collection of recipes but also acts as an archive of memory with stories stirred into every recipe.
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Brainard, who has long turned memory into narrative, is the acclaimed author of “When the Rainbow Goddess Wept,” “Magdalena,” and “The Newspaper Widow.” She has published over 22 titles, from fiction to memoirs and anthologies, and runs the Philippine American Literary House. A former teacher at UCLA and USC, her writing career began with an electric typewriter gifted by her husband Lauren, a former Peace Corps volunteer who noticed her nightly journaling habit.
Though she has divided her time between the US and the Philippines, the heart of Brainard’s practice remains rooted in Filipino stories—which is why this cookbook, in many ways, brings her full circle.
When cookbooks become time capsules
Initially conceived as a simple collection of recipes by her classmates, the project evolved into something more ambitious. “When it comes to cooking, there are two kinds of Theresians: those who cook, and those who don’t,” Brainard reflects.
The reality hit when she put out her first call for submissions. “After a couple of ‘calls’ with tepid responses… I realized it would not be easy to gather a multitude of recipes for a ‘traditional cookbook,’” she says.
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For a moment, she considered abandoning the project entirely. But then her novelist instincts kicked in. “I considered giving up, but then, perhaps because I am primarily a fiction writer, I considered creating a food book that tells a story.”
“Step Into Our Kitchens: Theresian Recipes and Tales” features recipes with short introductions and longer food essays by Theresians as well as the story of St. Theresa’s College itself, from the very beginning. The focus was not so much the recipes but the women who created them and the school that shaped them, starting with the Belgian foundress Mother Marie Louise De Meester, who established St. Theresa’s College in 1897.
“Food was a kind of glue that connected us all,” Brainard explains.
What sets the book apart
What sets “Step Into Our Kitchens: Theresian Recipes and Tales” apart is its literary DNA.
Ige Ramos describes it as “a time capsule of cherished family recipes and stories passed down through generations… more than just ingredients and cooking method—you’ll uncover the love, laughter, and traditions that have shaped a Theresian family’s culinary heritage.”
Contributors range from professional chefs to home cooks sharing cherished family traditions. Ma. Patricia Manguerra Aberasturi, who runs a catering business, contributes an heirloom recipe from her Escaño family of Cebu. The Lardizabal sisters also share recipes rooted in their mother’s successful Cebu bakeshop.
To strengthen the storytelling element, Brainard included essays from respected women in literary, food, academic, and legal circles.
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But many recipes carry deeper meaning, with many love letters to the departed. Mariquit E. Soriano shares an heirloom recipe, “Mommy Consuelo’s Chiffon Cake,” perfected by her mother, who recently passed away. Rose Cuisia Franco contributes “Jackie’s Callos,” introduced by her brother, who passed at 40.
Philippine food historian Felice Prudente Sta. Maria captures the book’s essence: “The culinary collection is endearment just waiting to be cooked and shared by others. Whether when mixing Mommy Consuelo’s Chiffon Cake or caramelizing syrup for Leche Flan, the contributors honor the girly giggles, the morning Gregorian chants, and even the strict Belgian discipline instilled by school nuns with wimples recalling Batman.”
In an age of digital memories and often fleeting connections, Brainard has created something tangible in a book that captures not just what her St. Theresa’s College classmates cooked, but also who they were, where they came from, and what they valued most, preserving recipes that nourish both body and soul.