Nora Daza

Nora Guanzon Villanueva-Daza (December 2, 1928 – September 13, 2013), popularly known as Chef Nora Daza, was a Filipino veteran gourmet chef, restaurateur, socio-civic leader, television host, and best-selling cookbook author. Daza was considered as the Philippines' first culinary icon, and was also known as the "Julia Child of the Philippines" and the Philippines' first "culinary ambassador".

Early life Daza was born in Batangas, to Alejandro Jose Villanueva, a civil engineer from Batangas City, and his wife Encarnacion Guanzon, daughter of Olympio Guanzon former Governor of Pampanga. Her mother Guanzon never learned how to cook, but Daza persuaded her mother to collect recipes for her at a young age. As young as 8, Daza began cooking pancakes for her family, neighbours, and parent's friends.

Education In 1952, Daza graduated from the University of the Philippines with a Bachelor's degree in Home Economics. She learned about Filipino cooking and catering while working at the University of the Philippines cafeteria. She then went to the United States to study at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, for a Master of Science in Restaurant and Institutional Management. At Cornell, she became a member of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society, and was in the top 10 of her class.

Daza later studied French cuisine in Paris, under the tutelage of Simone Beck, and Louisette Bertholle.

Daza was elected vice president of the Philippine Association of Nutrition, secretary of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines, adviser-admiral of the Homemakers Club, director of Hotel and Tourist Industries of the Philippines, and president of Philippine Home Economists in Business.

In 1992, Daza's friend from U.P. vice-president Salvador "Doy" Laurel asked her to run for the Senate of the Philippines under the Nacionalista Party. She ran on the platform "Proper Nutrition for the Masses," but ended up losing the race.

She was survived by her children Gabriel "Bong" Daza III, Inquirer Lifestyle food columnist Alejandro "Sandy" Daza, Mariles Daza-Enriquez, Stella Daza-Belda and Nina Daza-Puyat; and grandchildren Arturo "Turs" Daza, Ali Daza, Joseph Puyat, Gio Puyat, Billie Puyat, Mario Puyat, Bolo Belda, Franco Daza, Bettina Belda, Toby Belda, Danielle Daza, Isabelle Daza, Ava Daza, Raphael Daza, Eduardo Taylor and Rodrigo Enriquez.

Publication Let's Cook with Nora. National Book Store, 1965. Let's Cook with Nora. Improved Edition. National Book Store, 1969. Galing Galing Philippine Cuisine: Food as Prepared in Philippine Homes. National Book Store Manila, 1974. The Best of the Maya Cookfest. Asia Book Corp of America, 1981 Nora V. Daza A Culinary Life: Personal Recipe Collection with Michaela Fenix. Anvil Publishing, 1992. Festive Dishes: Nora V. Daza with family and friends. Anvil Publishing, 2011.