The Dawn of Cuisine

Blame my coworkers for this. They were the ones who insisted I do something about my cooking. I never really thought I would be fascinated by the idea of cooking, let alone baking. But I should have seen it coming, with me loving to make a mess and experimenting on different things (mind you, I got scolded a lot for doing these things, but somehow they got tired and just tolerated it).

But what influenced me the most was hanging out with my paternal grandfather, being carried while he was cooking, explaining to me what goes with what. I was so enthralled with how thorough he was with cleaning the meat and how one should cut a certain vegetable depending on what dish you are to cook. It was art for him, and he was a very artistic and talented man. I can’t even imagine how I’m remembering these things. He will always make me stand near the steps close to the stove (when I became too heavy and tall to be carried) and continue instructing me about his own certain techniques. But I was too young then, with the patience of a kid and more amused with going outside playing street games than anything else (I should have made him wrote everything down). 

When my grandfather passed away, it was such a terrible blow for everyone, especially to my paternal grandmother. I lost my interest in cooking and playing the piano and even drawing random things (come to think of it, I lost interest in everything that I used to see my grandfather do). Anyway, a day came when my paternal grandmother asked me to cook lunch (it was not because of any other reason but her arthritis not allowing her to do any chores). I was apprehensive at first, but being raise as a Filipino, I really can’t protest. As soon as I started slicing, chopping and doing all the necessary steps (with her tone raised since she was in the bedroom while instructing me), it made me remember my grandfather.

But I was lazy, having people around me who cook delicious foods that it wasn’t until I didn’t really have a choice but to go into the kitchen and make my own meal that I held a knife and started cooking, otherwise I won’t have anything to eat that I started practicing the way my grandfather thought me. Besides, grocery is not cheap so trying it out and failing wasn’t really an option. However, little did my family know, I was observing how they moved around the kitchen and how they really cook certain foods. Long story short, I started falling in love being in the kitchen again. Therefore, when we had this AIDS fundraiser that my beloved former manager pushed us to do, I brought some pastries and sweets that they had loved. As a result, I started bringing samples at work that they can taste. I told my "mom" group (the moms who drop off and pick their kids at school whom I became close with) about certain foods and sweets that I am capable of making. Word spread and I am now selling a bit of certain cakes, sweets, dips. But what had given me the funds I needed from time to time was when a coworker of mine asked me to be “a personal take home chef” which got followed by another one.

Thus, here goes this page, my food adventures and eventually, food that I cooked and I’m promoting for profit.