GMA News TV (Channel 11 on your tv) has launched the newest season of Sarap at Home, an innovative show that combines the appeal of a fun sitcom and a cooking demo. Aired daily, it is one of the most successful Pinoy food-oriented shows, and is now on its fourth season.





The show is co-sponsored by San Marino Tuna, a brand of canned tuna produced by CDO Foods, and hosted by Ms. Sam Oh. The show features dishes for family meals and for entertaining which are easy on the budget and are easy to make, which makes it edutainment at its finest for the hurried (and sometimes harried) homemaker.

In the name of keeping things interesting, Sarap at Home 4 has adopted a format that’s slightly different from its previous one. Now called Sarap At Home With Friends, it now features more regular characters. First, Sam’s trusty (if slightly rough around the edges) sidekick, played by Ramon Bautista, will get more air time. We’ll also be seeing more of Sam’s hunky, sex-on-a-stick neighbor, played by Fabio Ide. Finally, Sam’s cousin from the province, played by the lovely Jackie Rice , has moved in with her, and is now another permanent fixture to the show.

A month ago (yes, it’s been a month, life got in the way), I attended the launch of Sarap at Home and got the chance to talk to Sam Oh herself, who turned out to be incredibly nice.



It was a fun launch, and we got to make our own salads!




Tuna is heart love, because of all the healthy stuff in it that's good for your ticker. Also, for people like me who aren't huge fish fans, San Marino's a good choice, since it's less fishy-tasting, for some reason.




Eye candy! Hosts that are pretty nommy themselves show guests how easy it is to throw together some fresh veggies with tuna to create salad-y goodness.




It also helps that the organizers had everything prepared, mise en place.



I’ve always been a fan of Sam since she first came into the limelight, she was fun and quirky and unique. So I got all excited when I got a chance to talk with her and ask her a few questions!

As it turns out, Sam was not into cooking when she was younger. It wasn't that she wasn't inclined to learn, but that she and her family were blessed with a mother who was an excellent cook, and so they were more than happy to leave all kitchen duties to her.

But all that changed when she moved into her own place. She now takes pride in being able to cook very well, though she concedes that her mom is better than she is by leaps and bounds.

And the culinary challenge she wants to take on? "If there’s anything I really want to make, it’s the perfect roast chicken," Sam confides. She’s tried a lot of recipes, including the Barefoot Contessa’s recipe (a personal fave) but she hasn't found the chicken recipe of her dreams yet. In the meantime, she'll keep on tweaking old recipes and trying new ones until she does. Who knows, maybe this Christmas season, she will!

Credit and heaps and heaps of thanks to Mel of BaconTunaMelt.com" for letting me go on her behalf. (Paris to Ortigas is an awful long commute for a dinner event.)