A little something about me and cooking

While I started young with cooking, always being encouraged by Mum, I didn't really get into cooking until I was in my 30s. The major influences were Heston Blumenthal, Jamie Oliver, and Super Food Ideas (SFI).

I don't remember how SFI came into our lives, but I think Mum recommended it to me, and we picked up a copy. Then we picked up another. and found earlier copies at the op shops. and then we had a subscription. There were undoubtedly some we never made anything from, but they were always nice to look through for inspiration. And then there were issues like the one with the Brownies of doom recipe in it that my partner was always requested to make for parties. Now that most (if not all) the recipes are online, and the cost of each issue has increased, and my ability to store them has decreased, I no longer get SFI. I still flick through the issues at Mum's when I visit though.

Jamie Oliver was probably the first TV chef I watched, enjoyed, and then bought a book of recipes of. One of my good friends who also enjoyed cooking and I would have an evening semi-regularly where we'd put a series of something on the telly, have a few drinks, and cook and eat a meal together. It was great times, and one time the 'something on the telly' was "The Naked Chef". It showed me fun and entertainment and food can go together. I still enjoy his style, and at some point intend on getting more of his cookbooks again, since my partner got them when we separated.

Heston came into my knowledge through one of his cooking shows, probably Heston's Feasts. Here was this famous chef doing absolutely remarkable and crazy things with food. It blew my mind that you could do that with food. I've followed his work ever since and still have a goal of eating at his restaurant.

And then Masterchef came along. 9 seasons later and I'm still hooked on it, even though I'm not a fan of much reality TV at all. My partner at the time was always amused at how my plating changed during the season and for the month or so afterwards. I didn't really notice that I was doing anything different, but obviously I was.

The biggest thing for my cooking life came when I had a discussion with a good friend of mine. I was coming out from health problems that had left me using a cane to walk and very low energy levels. I'd been cooking as therapy at the time and we'd been discussing her diet. Both her and her partner were struggling with getting healthy food into them, eating take away food at least 4 times a week, probably more. He had no time between work and business project and public transport to cook for her, and she had no energy or strength or health to cook anything more than "put it in the microwave" things. I asked if she had meals in her freezer, would that solve the take away cycle? When she said yes, my first food 'business' was born.

We discussed dietary issues, and they would ask me for whatever they wanted, I'd find a recipe, alter it to fit their needs, determine a price for the batch, make it, serve it into individual meal serves, freeze them and deliver them. I did that for about 3 years for a dozen or more friends, learning about Gluten Free, Paleo, Diabetic, Vegetarian, Vegan, Failsafe, and a variety of allergies along the way. It was some of the most worthwhile cooking I've ever done, and if I hadn't moved to Sydney I probably still would be doing it.

While I was doing that, I was asked multiple times to cater for friends weddings also, and eventually I did. It was an experience, and one that I've learned from. It was successful enough that the bride will recommend me, but it was so stressful I don't want to do it again.

Thanks to all of this over the last decade, I now have a genuine love of cooking, a desire to do something with food to help those that are struggling, and a continual desire to learn how to make new food.

Hopefully this has been an entertaining read and I didn't ramble too much

Rat.

Image Sources:
BBC
Food Network
Jamie Oliver, 2
Eat Me Daily
Gourmet Traveller
Jasmine Rice Tumblr
TenPlay