Celebrating A Culinary Heritage: How Jerika Ejercito Throws the Perfect Dinner Party

Jerika's menu

When Jerika Ejercito puts together a party, she usually does it at home, or at Maria Maria, a restaurant dedicated to her Lola Mary. The establishment holds the venerable matriarch’s heritage recipes. Food in her get-togethers is always comfort food made following recipes inherited from her grandmother. “I try and celebrate the culinary heritage that we inherited from our Lola Mary,” she says. “She was the consummate cook and her food was full of love in every bite.”

Jerika prefers dinners with the company of loved ones. “Simple get-togethers full of laughter and amazing food is my idea of entertaining,” says Jerika, although of course she has appreciated larger parties dedicated to her father. “I have been exposed to numerous hostings from my father and this has allowed me a degree of practice.” Seeing how gatherings both intimate and large materialize has given her perspective on both types of parties.

Jerika doesn’t cook much, but she enjoys putting together the menu. She pays special attention to appetizers. Her frequent guests always look forward to her curated platter of cold cuts and cheeses from La Contessa, the delicatessen that stands next to Maria Maria. “Especially the foie gras,” she adds.

Jerika says that in the end, what really makes the dinner unforgettable is the mix of people. “What is important is my guests get to know each other and engage in amazing conversations. I am all about that.” She believes in always making sure that guests are comfortable: “I always ask if my guests have dietary restrictions so you can prepare the appropriate food them,” adding that, “It’s never fun when a guest can’t eat or drink anything.”