Why I Started Cooking

Sorry, no new recipe here, but I thought I might give a like back story since, to some, this cooking stint seems random.

Cooking has been an art that I have never truly appreciated until as of late. Looking back, I was not made to be a cook. Neither was I an adventurous eater (meaning I was annoyingly picky) nor did I have the patience to prepare meals. I grew up with the mentality that I need to save us much time as possible for me. That included cutting my sleep, skipping meals and showers (I know, it’s gross but I’d happily debate you on this), rushing routine activities, speeding down highways, and the list goes on. Therefore, cooking equaled wasting time that could be cut with the microwave.

The need to save time became increasingly apparent in college. Despite having a full kitchen all 5 years of college, I didn’t bother to consistently cook myself tasty meals. Hamburger helpers and top ramen were my friends, who I shared with many other college students. KP obviously did not help in that department with days ending at 10pm. That is when happy hours, 24 hours joints, and fast food became my 1st kitchens.

After all of this, I find it ironic that my dad is widely considered an amazing cook within my extended family and I failed to pick up any of that. The other thing I failed at was sports, but that’s another story. Sports or cooking…I went with the latter.

After PGrad, life was simple to say the least. I had no obligations and it was my intention to live up these 3 months of vacay because I know luxury like this will never come around until retirement. Too bad I can’t get paternity leave. Anyway, that summer is when I decided to turn my life around and dedicate time for myself. With motivation from my roommate Larsen, we tried to do that. Less video games, cleaner house, life walks, regular activities like bowling, among others. And the one that led to cooking was regular grocery shopping. I started simple, mostly alternating meats (chicken, beef, pork) complimented with vegetables and making dishes I always made, like spaghetti. Sad to say, they were just okay (except for my spaghetti which I think is bomb). Nothing I was necessarily proud of that I would serve at a dinner party.

And then I went home to LA for 2 weeks. What I found out was my sister had started to cook more too. That was one thing I never expected. But my house was blessed with a variety of foods and seasonings to cook with, and it was the perfect time to experiment. I started to make random dishes but looking into the fridge and seeing what I could make out of them. And I couldn’t believe what I was tasting. They were good!

I convinced myself that cooking was genetic and that I inherited it from my father, but I had just never tapped into it. From then, I was inspired. I knew cooking was an ability I want to be able to bring to my family. What better time to start than the time I move to the bay?

Basically, I started to do what I did in LA: put whatever I have in the fridge into a pot and see what comes of it. While there were some random dishes that I was proud of, I felt I was not learning anything. That’s when I saw Rachel Ray on TV one Friday morning and it dawned on me: FOOD NETWORK! I actually made that dish I saw that morning, but honestly it was not good, haha. I probably just fucked up.

I started to think about all these dishes that I die for in some of my favorite restaurants. Alfredo, curry, ramen, Korean BBQ, jambalaya, chicken tortilla soup, mashed potatoes, rib-eye steak, carne asada fries, and there are just too many. And basically, I searched up these dishes and made them. Just to ensure they taste good, I look for the recipes that have large numbers of 5 star ratings and pretty much all of them are delicious. Coincidentally, many of them are from Emeril. He’s just an amazing chef.

I personally think I am doing pretty well. I am pleased with what I am able to conjure up. And it’s nice to have someone taste your food other than yourself. Not only is it relaxing but it’s also rewarding to know that I can pull this off. To think back and see how my dietary habits were for the past 23 years, it’s mind-boggling to see how far I’ve come in just 2 months. It reminds me of one of my favorite movies: Ratatouille. And that’s why Remy is on top. Because I hold his beliefs as truth:

Anyone can cook.