I have always had a love for food, but for some reason ignored my mothers advice when I was choosing the subjects to study in high school before going off to university. I wanted to stick with maths and science, my mum kept suggesting home economics and cooking. You see, for some reason, even though I am a bit of a tomboy, I can knit, crochet, sew, and well, I used to do needle work ie cross stitching etc. But I thought my heart belonged to science, because at the time, it did. I found after a year and a half of a chemistry degree that I was not a scientist, and didn't really want to put the work in to become one. I still remember taking that one long look around the lab and thinking 'Hrm'. I am fairly sure that was the point I made up my mind, and I didn't go back the next day.
I have bounced around different industries working different jobs from customer service to IT to human resources. I remembered a friend once telling me a story of waking up on someone's couch with a severe hangover and realising what his dream was. I remember really wanting to feel that. A couple of years later, my calling started....
I think it began making crepes for my house mate. Things were a bit shit for both of us, and my time in the kitchen preparing food helped me to unwind, enjoy myself, and be creative. Then while we both ate the end product, it would cheer us up and help us get on with our days. Plus the wine helped. One day I woke up and thought 'I love food' and that was it. But I still couldn't find a way to work it into my immediate plans.
My mother is an exceptional cook, although she would never admit it. She says things like 'I can cook' but doesn't realise the impact her cooking has on people who eat her food. You see, you don't just eat my mums cooking, you experience it. I remember when we lived in Fall Creek we always had random people come for lunch, dinner, or stay with us. People mum or dad worked with, people from their past, friends of friends, or even our friends. I picture mum in the kitchen being busy and chatting away, visitors and family members around the bench, at the table, sitting on the stairs, watching and joining in where possible. It was the normal thing, my mum cooking up a storm with enough food to feed an army, while catering for 5 kids with different food requirements. The social aspect of it just added to the experience. I wonder what our visitors & guests thought of the frenzy! Either way, over time I learnt from my mum the impact food has on people, how to enjoy it, and mostly, how to appreciate it.
I started to branch out with my cooking, trying new things, cooking without recipes, trialling and failing miserably and still enjoying the experience. Probably because I realised half of my passion for cooking lies in the drink in arms reach while in the kitchen! We lived in the UK for nearly five years, and really got in to cooking there. I was unfortunate enough to work in a job I absolutely despised to the point of being completely unhappy, and the kitchen was the only thing I looked forward to on a daily basis. It's how I escape a bit of life, create something while learning, and a way of looking after my husband and good friends. When I was lucky enough to be made redundant from that job, Lee encouraged me to do what I had been
talking about for over 8 years, I went off and did a cooking course. The course was great to some extent, and disappointing in others, but overall I had a great time and learnt a whole lot, plus it cemented my existing knowledge and experience, giving me much more confidence.
While I still have a long way to go with my cooking, and a hell of a lot to learn, I want to channel this to continue to be a very positive part of our lives, and a hobby, passion, and maybe one day, an income. And who knows, maybe I will be able to one day throw my 'celebrity' dinner party! All I know is I love food, I love cooking, and I love that feeling when someone eats something I have made and enjoys it. That and a beer ;)
