Cooking Experiences

As a culinary arts graduate, I can confidently say that I am a decent cook. If you ask anyone about of what they know about me, they will almost always say that I am a great cook. People will come to me for advice about food, pay me to cater their parties, and even have me teach them how to cook. It’s very humbling to know that I have a passion and talent that everyone aspires to. But, it wasn’t always like that. In fact, I used to be terrified to even touch the toaster growing up.

My grandma and I would bake cookies together when I was a small child, but I would always be discouraged when it came to baking them in the oven. Stirring and measuring were just fine with me, but going anywhere near that oven would be halted by my phobia of the hot heat. It would drive my grandma crazy and I honestly believe now as I look back on it, that she must have thought there was something wrong with me. If she knew me today and what I’ve become, she would be in hysterics with disbelief. The scrawny, lanky kid that refused to punch down the toaster or boil water is now a culinary graduate.

My fear of cooking was not overthrown by culinary school. Ironically, I discovered my passion by working at a grocery store as the food demonstrator. It was the only position available at the time, and I was forced to learn how to cook and learn quick. My whole family are an amazing group of talented cooks and I have always been surrounded by good food, so fortunately I was knowledgeable enough to have the basics. Once I started to cook and then demonstrate to the customers, life changed for me. It’s been one of the best things for me by working for the demo team and I’m so grateful that it opened me up to an interest that I’m so passionate about that I’ve chosen it to be my career.

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