Me, Myself, & Food

Food is one of my greatest passions and the main reason I created this blog.

As a child, I was incredibly fortunate to have well-traveled parents who were adventurous eaters. I was also blessed with a mother who cooked dinner of various cuisines at least five times a week if not more. Last but not least, I grew up in Los Angeles – a city full of spectacular eateries owned by folks from every corner of the world, superb California produce, and local international markets teeming with exotic ingredients. I believe that all of these factors truly shaped my palate and gave rise to my affinity for food.

Since my mom was an avid cook, my older brother and I naturally spent quite a bit of time in the kitchen watching her prepare meals and assisting where we could. My dad loved grilling so dinners cooked and enjoyed outside was also a thing of the norm. As a result, my brother and I were both incredibly comfortable in and around the kitchen as we grew older.

When I was a junior in college, I remember coming home and telling my mom that I wanted to drop out of university and go to culinary school instead. She quickly replied, “Absolutely not,” and said I could do that on my own dime after I graduated 😉 Thinking back on that moment, I’m a little confused because I was loving my college experience and incredibly happy studying screenwriting and theatre arts. However, I clearly had a deep passion for food and must have really wanted to make it known to my parents at the time.

Unfortunately, my mom unexpectedly passed away my senior year of college. Due to the circumstances, my dad and I began to cook a lot more once I moved back home after graduation. A few years later, I was regularly baking cupcakes for friends and family, publishing articles about the best happy hours in and around Pasadena, and photo blogging about my culinary creations and finds. As the years have progressed my passion for food has only continued to grow.

Today, other than having a career as some sort of professional writer, I often fantasize about opening a tiny café or a little food stall at a farmer’s market. I suppose we shall see what the future holds. Until then, I’m completely content being a home cook on nights in and an excited diner on nights out when I’m too lazy to prepare a meal.

MY COOKING STYLE

I think my style of cooking can be summed up as “simple & delicious.” You won’t catch me filleting a fish or deboning a duck (just yet) in my journey as a home chef not due to a lack of interest but just due to laziness and a sheer lack of time. Overall, I cook in a way that is both convenient and enjoyable to me. I attribute whatever skills I have in the kitchen to years of watching my mother cook and years of absorbing thousands of hours of food television. I greatly admire and appreciate cookbooks, but I’ve never been one to follow recipes. I’m an intuitive cook who doesn’t measure unless I’m baking. I taste often and season as I go.

MY COOKING ADVICE

If you aren’t fully comfortable in the kitchen and are trying to gain more confidence, my first bit of advice would be to, “Have fun!” Cooking should never feel intimidating, and there’s no need to stress. Mistakes are bound to happen, but that is how we all learn. Cooking is definitely a trial and error activity, but once you figure out the basics, the results are well worth it.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE FOOD SECTION OF HOMEMADE IN LA