The unknown side of Carla Abellana

We all know that Carla Abellana can excellently act and host, but what most people don't know is that she’s also a talented cook.

“Not a lot of people know that I love cooking,” she said.

Food, for her, gathers people together and is resonant of love and celebration. She shared that one of the special dishes she prepares is steak and prawns, which she usually serves during Media Noche.

However, during one normal day that her family was together, she took the opportunity to celebrate. “We usually have this during New Year’s pero dahil it felt like a special occasion… because my family was with me at that time, nag-serve ako ng steak and prawns,” she shared.

The actress also shared that she likes cooking spaghetti and other Italian dishes for her loved ones. “I love to cook spaghetti for my family. Mahilig ako mag-experiment with Italian dishes… kasi ang daming pwede gawin,” Carla said.

The fondness for cooking wasn’t newly found since she grew up with good food and great cooks around her. “I grew up with the recipes of my lola. [Our family is] very traditional talaga and we would have Sunday lunches with the entire family. Tapos my mom loves to cook also so I learned from them,” Carla explained.

Cooking also became an activity where she could bond with her grandmother. “I would stay in the kitchen and watch kung paano niya gagawin. Nung medyo bata po kami, di pa niya tinuro step by step… We would just observe. Pero habang tumatanda kami, nagbibigay na siya ng pointers tapos sinasabi na niya 'yung specifics siguro kasi gusto niya talagang i-pass on sa amin 'yung recipes,” she recounted.

Although she’s been in the kitchen since she was little, the learning doesn’t stop for Carla. She keeps expanding the roster of dishes she can prepare and also encourages other people to get into the enjoyable and rewarding experience of cooking.

“You don’t have to be a professional to be able to cook in the kitchen. You can be an aspiring cook, you can be completely clueless and start from scratch… You may not be the best cook 'di ba, but you can learn,” says Carla.

-- Text by Meryl Ligunas, GMANetwork.com