Love is served at Judy Ann’s Kitchen
With numerous acting awards and citations, the latest being Best Actress at the Cairo International Film Festival for the movie Mindanao, Judy Ann Santos is undoubtedly one of the most popular and respected actresses in the Philippine entertainment industry.
She married Ryan Agoncillo in 2009 (they started dating in 2004) and they are blessed with three children.
Judy Ann’s passion for cooking has evolved not only into attending culinary school, but also into writing a cookbook and owning restaurants. AngryDobo, a Filipino restaurant with locations in Taft and Alabang, opened in 2019, named in jest from an argument between Santos and Agoncillo over cooking adobo for friends in Los Angeles.
This love for cooking is also on display in her YouTube channel which, like the book, is called “Judy Ann’s Kitchen.” Blessed with almost 1.7 million subscribers and over 82 million views, she makes every video post entertaining and educational by providing options and insights.
Aware that moms are challenged to add more vegetables or lessen meat in special dishes, she expertly showed how to cook meat-free Shepherd’s pie, veggie burger, vegan bopis, balsamic adobong langka (jackfruit) and tofu.
Her channel is replete with suggestions regarding meat-free protein substitutes. Judy Ann not only provides useful cooking hacks, she also shares info regarding dietary and nutritional benefits. She has an episode solely on cauliflower and she showed how to use it as a pizza crust, rice paella, mac and cheese and how cauliflower cut-ups can be breaded and baked like Buffalo wings and then dipped in ranch avocado. Her daughter Luna is mostly by her side wearing an apron and sometimes even a chef’s hat. Husband Ryan can be heard asking questions or adding info or can be seen sampling the cooked dish afterwards. She said that cooked jackfruit has the look and feel of beef, and that sautéed bokchoy was a big hit with her children. Simple to cook, she starts by sautéing a lot of garlic, then the bokchoy, then adds salt and black pepper to taste. She ended the dish with some coco aminos, slurry and sugary.
Judy Ann confessed that she loves to eat. But she knows that she has to also watch her diet and opt for healthier choices. She said that a block of tofu has 117 calories and can be used in many dishes. She also shared her tofu sisig tacos and crispy tofu with mushroom sauce recipes
It’s amazing to see the whole Agoncillo family convene and bond in the kitchen. It’s refreshing to see Judy Ann as she is — funny, sweet, caring, inspiring and ultra informative. Spontaneity in her kitchen makes the videos more interesting. There is no stiffness and awkwardness. She laughs at herself all the time. While she is a trained chef, she showed how she has a tendency to burn herself.
For a Mexican-themed vegetarian meals, she shared with viewers how to make vegetarian quesadillas and nachos with eight-layer dip.
Judy Ann said she loves Mexican food because the dishes have very vibrant colors and distinct flavors.She even has an episode where she harvests vegetables in her garden. She got okra, basil, cilantro and tomatoes from the backyard and converted them into an omelet by adding an onion, garlic and two eggs (also from the backyard).
She recently shared on Instagram that she is the first brand ambassador of Beko Philippines, maker of modern and efficient home and kitchen appliances. She beamed with joy and pride like the deserving queen of the kitchen that she is. Her social media posts center on family and she attributed this “family first above anything and everything” philosophy to her mom Carol who celebrated her 75th birthday last February. Judy Ann grew up around her bustling kitchen and good Kapampangan food. It’s little wonder then that her children, especially Luna, seem to be following in her footsteps.
