I grew up in a Filipino household with my grandmother’s home-cooked traditional meals… chicken adobo, sinigang, kare-kare, pancit… the list goes on. And whenever we ate out for lunch or dinner, my parents usually opted for Asian food (Japanese or Chinese for the most part) along with the usual American staples (burgers, hot dogs, Olive Garden). When I started attending college at the University of Colorado at Boulder,   my friends thankfully introduced me to a much wider variety of cuisines and expanded my palate. Unfortunately, I also ended up with a penchant for eating out and for a few years after I graduated, the majority of my income went toward the restaurants around me.

When I went back to school to complete a post-baccalaureate program, I no longer had the money to spend wantonly on eating out–so I started learning how to cook. My then-boyfriend was mortified at my complete lack of skills in the kitchen and said as much; he would physically leave the kitchen whenever I had a knife in hand…

Four years later, a practical way of saving money has become a full-time hobby and lifelong passion of mine, even superseding what I initially went to school for in the first place! It’s a scary road, but I promised myself that I would try to enjoy the journey as much as possible. And so far, so good?

Oh, and the then-boyfriend that was scared for his personal health whenever I wielded any type of sharp object? Here’s a picture of us together most recently:

Looks like my knife skills improved enough to where he considered me marriage material. Hooray!

FAQ

I’ll add more to this list in the order of when I receive said questions. Feel free to drop me a line at kris.wu@umamiholiday.com.

• Is there a theme to the recipes/cuisine featured on the site?
• Any kitchen tools/utensils you can’t live without/that you recommend?
• What kind of camera/lens do you utilize for your shots?
• Is there a meaning behind the blog title?

Is there a theme to the recipes/cuisine featured on the site?

Not really, just whatever piques my interest at the time. My attention is a fickle beast, but I do see trends toward French and Chinese cuisine more than others. Also cookies… lots of cookies.

Any kitchen tools/utensils you can’t live without/that you recommend?

I cannot emphasize how important a good chef’s knife and cutting board are. I was foolish to think I could manage without either, and thankfully people saw it fit to give me these things as wedding gifts. I am forever changed. Additionally, I received a Dutch oven as a Christmas gift from my grandmother a few years back and it has been indispensable to me–the handiness of having cookware that is both stove-top and oven-safe cannot be emphasized enough.

What kind of camera/lens do you utilize for your shots?
My husband gave me a Canon Rebel T4i this past Christmas, along with a 100mm f/2.8 macro lens. I then purchased a 50mm f/1.8 (the “nifty 50”) for good measure; I use both at home and the 50 when I eat out and around town. I use Adobe Lightroom 4.3 and/or Adobe Photoshop CS6 for post-editing. It goes without saying that I am completely amateur and will probably be embarrassed by my pictures at a future point in time–but for now, tally ho!

Is there a meaning behind the blog title?

Even though I bake a lot of sweets, I’m actually more inclined toward savory flavors–it’s true! I usually only eat 2-3 of the cookies I bake even though the yield is at least 2 dozen… and I only eat 1-2 slices of cake or pie. And I love classic movies and actresses–Audrey Hepburn is my absolute favorite, and the walls in my bedroom at my parents’ house is plastered with pictures of her from movie posters, publicity stills, etc. She won an Oscar for Roman Holiday–and even though it’s not my favorite movie of hers, it lends itself better to a website title moreso than, say, Sabrina or Love in the Afternoon. And there you have it!