Chef Ena: Helping You Cook With Great Unique Recipes

I love to cook, but first let me tell you a little bit about me. I was born and raised in the Philippines. I came to the United States of America after I graduated from high school. I grew up in a large family with eight kids so there was always a lot of cooking going on! My mother would always be cooking and she loved to have friends and neighbors over for meals. She got that from my grandmother who would always share food with people in the neighborhood when she was able to because many were poor and did not always have food to eat.

I have taken a lot of different classes in school like typing, computers, interior design and business. For a small period of time in the past I even ran a gift basket business. But I have found that what inspires me the most is cooking so I took some classes in culinary arts and catering to learn more about the commercial side of cooking. I also love to garden. There is nothing more enjoyable than nurturing plants in the garden and then picking them fresh for use in a meal.

My cooking style is influenced from many different areas. My husband worked in an Italian restaurant when he was younger and he grew up in a German household and we have many recipes derived from those backgrounds. I have friends in my neighborhood from Thailand who have taught me many recipes and techniques used in Thai cooking. I also experiment and try variations on interesting recipes that I come across from reading and watching cooking shows. I hope you enjoy the recipes that I share on this site.