Moms and Dads

Eat, Pray, and Love at Chefmom’s Table

by Pipo Gonzales
February 17, 2022

For Chef Rosebud Benitez-Velasco, food is more than just provision during meals. It’s a delicious tool for living longer and more fully for those around her dining table.

Celebrity chef Rosebud is best known by her followers as “chefmom.” At home, she is simply mom. When she is not at work or in front of the camera, Rosebud plays an active role in rearing her children. She is hands-on in every sense of the term. Just like any parent adjusting to the new normal, she’s learned to deal with distance learning and tutoring. She has also found joy in watching her family grow and progress even on knife’s edge and under lockdown.

Making food the backbone for a better life

Rosebud’s years of culinary experience is an enjoyed privilege in their brood. Her keen attention to overall wellness is the perfect side dish to her signature recipes. “I’ve always been an advocate of healthy living and healthy eating even before the pandemic happened. So there’s not much change in that area of our lives,” Rosebud explains.

There is a goal, driven by love of family, behind food preparations done in her kitchen. “My main motivation is really to live a long and healthy life. I’m turning 44 in a few weeks and I still have a 7-year-old kid. I want to be able to keep up with him during playtime and I want to be able to enjoy my future grandkids as well.” Aside from good nutrition, exercise is just as important a component in her self-care recipe.

Eat, pray, love

In the past months, Rosebud and her family have had to deal with cabin fever. She’s also had to overcome the disappointment from canceled shows. But this was no reason for sour faces on the table. She rallies the family to see each day as a glorious feast to be celebrated with gratitude. “One of the many things I realized is that, in this life, you don’t really need much to feel happy and fulfilled. Having a happy family is one of the many things I’m blessed with. We all have our ups and downs and crazy tampuhans. But when it comes down to it, we learned to love and appreciate each other more because of this situation we were in.”