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December 14, 2004: "Growing up with Tita Sylvia and Hunts"

Experts who are passionate about their crafts will never go for second best. That’s why in all these years, culinary expert Sylvia Reynoso-Gala has been cooking only with Hunt’s, the Tomato expert.

In the latest Hunts TV commercial, which brings together Tita Sylvia and her children Morella and Ernest for the first time, we will see her kids recount their childhood days and reminisce on what it was like to grow up with a culinary expert and with Hunts.

“When I was a kid, I would always watch my Mom. I would be by her side when she was teaching. I love being around the kitchen. I would do anything I could and yes, I participated even in the eating part especially when she prepares spaghetti. That was my favorite part,” Ernest says with a laugh.

For Morella, her childhood will always be the most exciting and memorable part of her life. “Mom would take us to different eating places from simple diners or cafés to elaborate hotel lounges and restaurants for a complete culinary experience. Not only did our Mom want us to be exposed to different flavors of food but she would (also) explain to us the history of it, or where it came from. That developed our passion for cooking,” Morella shares.

Indeed, both Morella and Ernest have carved their niches in the culinary world. Inspired by their Mom, they studied the Culinary Arts abroad that added to the knowledge they gained from spending a lot of time in Tita Sylvia’s kitchen. And now they are back in the country to share what they have learned..

Morella has truly blossomed from the kid who started cooking her first ensaymada and pan de sal at the age three, into the woman who now owns Khaldi’s Café in Baguio City. She also finds joy in teaching kids and adults from the basic to the most complex techniques of cooking and baking.

Ernest also teaches in the Sylvia Reynoso-Gala Culinary School where he gets to do two things he loves most in life – cooking and teaching. These are perhaps two of the greatest legacies Sylvia Reynoso-Gala has passed on to her children.

With her Culinary Studio running for 34 years, Tita Sylvia continues to be an inspiration for many. This is why she is very careful and particular when it comes to choosing the products she uses.

“I will only endorse a product if I know the people who will buy it will be as proud and happy as I am when they use it. As I’ve always said, ‘to get the best results, one must likewise put in only the best’. That’s why I use Hunt’s. It’s a product that can stand on its own – a real winner,” Tita Sylvia says with emphasis.

Looking at both Morella and Ernest, one can see that it pays to listen to Tita Sylvia’s advices. See them for yourself as they share an intimate moment with Hunt’s, as the TVC airs on your favorite stations.