This was the part of the Margarita I got to know: adventurous, curious, with a childlike joy and sense of wonder, who lit up a room, or a farm with her charisma, with an eye for beauty even in what seemed ordinary, unwavering in her love for all things Filipino. She elevated local cuisine and ingredients with her culinary artistry and the joyful force of her personality. Even the lowly alugbati.