Flavors from the heart

A night before the grand finals of a culinary contest, 12-year-old Samantha was no different from a bride with pre-wedding jitters.

 

Before the big day, she picked up her apron and chef’s toque and practiced cooking a secret recipe an aunt had taught her. She was having cold feet. “She even cried last night because her dish was really bad,” said her father, Paul Mutuc. “But then when I saw her cooking it, from the sidelines [during the contest], I knew it was perfect.”