Nothing beats family time. To me, these are priceless. I have experienced the best of times of all sorts as a resident here and abroad. And I have come to the conclusion that nothing beats spending time with your loved ones.

As a family, we’ve traveled to Fukuoka, where I wanted my family to experience the joy that eating superb Japanese food brings. We rented a tiny Airbnb in the outskirts of Fukuoka and stayed there for about 10 days. Every morning I would cook breakfast from ingredients I got from FamilyMart. Another trip we did was to San Francisco two years ago—also so memorable.

This year, my son, Chef Turo, got married in New York to my pretty, kind, tall, and hardworking daughter-in-law, Patricia Medina. My entire immediate family was there. Super fun and memorable. Except for the walking that the city is known for, everything was perfect. We got an Airbnb just a few blocks from Central Park, where we did picnics, experienced their corny zoo, or just sat and ate food from whatever deli. My grandson, Danel, was also there, and that made it more unforgettable. The love one gives their grandchild can only be described by experience. I have become more childish than he is.

We ate in the best restaurants. Together! We tried the best bagels in town, which became our breakfast many mornings. There was a deli just a few blocks away, and we had the most gigantic sandwiches.

My son and his wife knew the great places to eat, so we just followed. We had the most delicious pizza. It had a perfectly baked crust with a crunch on the outside and chewiness on the inside. There were mounds of toasted pepperoni that went perfectly with the stretchy baked mozzarella. Even the base tomato sauce was delicious. That place is called Prince Street Pizza. Grabe!

Under the Brooklyn Bridge, we had lunch at a fast food place with a variety of food. Some in our group went for Thai, sushi, roast chicken. I went for a triple-decker smashed burger sandwich. The burger patties were between brioche buns. The burgers had crispy sides, not too big but thick, and had the most delicious beefy taste. Everyone that took a bite regretted what they ordered.

For my birthday, my kids decided we go to one of the most popular steak places in the city—Keens Steakhouse! We couldn’t decide if it would be Delmonico, Peter Luger, or Keens. We unanimously chose Keens. My kids kept on threatening me that they would tell the servers it was my birthday, but I threatened them back. I hate attention.

My kids ordered a porterhouse steak for three, another a New York cut, while I had the specialty of the house—a huge cut of mutton chop cooked medium. OMG! It was so good. The chop was simply seasoned and was served with a clear mint jelly. Sarap!

One morning, we ate in a traditional American diner called Gracie Mews. I love American breakfasts. Some had French toast, others fluffy pancakes, while I had a waffle with egg white omelet with goat cheese, turkey bacon, and sausage. One of my best and most memorable meals of this trip.

One day, I cooked a gumbo which I think was a hit, but my kids wanted to eat out most of the time. I also discovered keto bread on this trip. This is non-fattening bread that can be a substitute for regular bread. I had it with everything. With Shirataki rice and keto bread, I can now eat anything and continue my forever diet.

We also dined where my son Turo works. It is a Michelin-starred Spanish restaurant called Casa Mono. Always busy, he works at the counter preparing some of the delicious dishes of the place. I teared up seeing Chef Turo taking the reins of the Daza legacy. My mom would have been proud of him, just like I am. He can come up with his own TV show if he ever decides to come back. He is young, pogi, talented, and loves what he does. He has great credentials and pedigree. He topped his class at his culinary school. Bright future ahead.

To this day, I still think of this trip. I thank my father from above for this most gracious blessing. I pray we can have another soon.