Judy Ann Santos returns to the kitchen with new vlog series

MANILA, Philippines – “Walang nangyayari!” That one meme may follow Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo everywhere, but in reality, there’s a lot happening for the fun, lighthearted celebrity chef. 

While the dishes in Judy Ann’s online cooking series look good on their own, it’s her authentic personality that makes cooking relatable, which was the A-list actress’ goal to begin with.

“It’s heartwarming to know that people are inspired by my YouTube channel Judy Ann’s Kitchen, and I’m even happier that I get to do something similar for this campaign,” Judy Ann told Rappler in a pocket media interview as she partners with UFC in championing world-class Filipino cooking.

Cooking, improvising freely

When Judy Ann first started her channel, she said she messed up a few times and considered editing those parts out. But she eventually decided that it would be better to keep them in the final cut.

She believes cooking is innately messy, and showing this to her viewers could make it less intimidating for those who want to try.

This genuineness prompted UFC, long known for its iconic banana catsup, to partner with the “respected actress, mom, homemaker, and chef” for a legacy campaign, including another Judy Ann vlog series.

Camille Santos, consumer connection manager and brand manager of UFC, described how the well-loved celebrity embodies “authenticity, trust, and culinary excellence.”

Judy Ann shared that the partnership “felt right at home,” where she’s “cooking and improvising freely,” and it reminded her of Judy Ann’s Kitchen, adding she’s happy to once again share her recipes through the upcoming vlog series — all complete with the Juday humor.

When asked about what to expect for the holiday season for this collaboration, she jokingly said, “Ako ang aabangan mo (You have to watch out for me).”

But kidding aside, Judy Ann happily shared three Filipino dishes that will surely be on their family’s Noche Buena table.

Filipino-style spaghetti

As the holidays approach, Judy Ann already knows the essentials that will be on their table — favorites rooted in nostalgia, family comfort, and Filipino flavor.

First on her list is the unique Filipino-style spaghetti, which can’t be complete without banana catsup.

She noted how this might probably be one of the most controversial ingredients to add in spaghetti sauce, and quickly followed it with, “pero hihimatayin talaga yung mga foreigner pag nalaman nila kung ano pa ang nakalagay sa Filipino spaghetti.”

(Foreigners will really faint if they find out what else is in Filipino spaghetti).

Since Filipino-style spaghetti is sweeter than the traditional Italian-style red sauce spaghetti, it’s big on kids, and in general to the sweet Pinoy palate. Judy Ann admitted that this is one of the dishes her kids request on special occasions.

Another must-have dish for their Noche Buena is the iconic lumpiang shanghai. For every occasion, in any Filipino household, this dish is always present and is usually the crowd-favorite. 

To add a dessert on the list, Judy Ann will surely be making her buko-lychee salad. She said they like it best the next day when each bite resembles that of an ice cream.

“We usually make this a day before and I also ask for help and delegate tasks, especially with lumpia which has lots of ingredients. That also becomes our chika time, so we can just peacefully spend time with the family on Christmas day,” she said.

These three dishes may look simple, but for Judy Ann, they’re “very representative of Filipino cuisine” — comforting and resourceful.

World-class Filipino cooking

These dishes are definitely crowd-favorites in local households, but as Judy Ann mentioned, it may be puzzling or strange to some foreigners. But Filipino cuisine, she believes, has slowly been gaining more attention abroad.

She said these everyday handaan staples show exactly why local dishes deserve to be more recognized.

“What makes our food world-class is that they burst with flavor. Pinoy dishes come layered, comforting, and complete straight from the pot,” she said.

She also acknowledged that part of the challenge is that Filipino dishes aren’t always visually glamorous: everything is mixed together, and we don’t usually prioritize presentation.

But global chefs are beginning to appreciate the depth, technique, and creativity behind Filipino cooking. And today, local cooks are also learning to make dishes more visually exciting, like plating kare-kare with braided string beans, or reinventing presentation and texture with crispy palabok.

Similarly, Judy Ann believes that using quality ingredients greatly helps, not just by elevating the dishes but also by easing the chef’s work.

The heart of her message remains simple: anyone can learn cooking a world-class meal with good ingredients and genuine care — the perfect recipe that the Filipinos will surely love. – Rappler.com