Seize the daY!

going back to cooking

i started early in the kitchen. i remember since grade 3, i stay in the kitchen to see how my father cooks (yup, may father is the cook of the family, and he cooks better, far better than my mother, no pun intended mama!) i am usually given the task to saute or to mix the food being cooked. I also watched cooking shows, i remember the Cooking it up with Nora show ( i think it was aired during Saturdays) that later became Cooking it up with the Daza's. I also grew up watching that amazing Chinese woman who has a cooking show at Channel 9 (does anybody remember that show?). Though i did not understand anything she says, i enjoyed watching her cook, especially seeing that hot wok she was cooking on and how she mixes water with constarch to make the sauce thick. i also remember watching Del Monte Kitchenomics at Eat Bulaga hosted by Chiqui Hollman, and later Coney Reyes and still later Maricel Laxa. i am just not sure if the show still has this segment. now, i still enjoy watching cooking shows (thanks to the lifestyle channel)- the Iron Chef America, Everyday Italian, 30 Minutes Meal with Rachel Ray, Food 911, Boy meets Grill, Wolfgang Puck's Cooking Class, Tyler's Ultimate, Molto Mario, and on local channel, the Katogue on Qtv. by grade 5, i was cooking already. i remember cooking basic dishes like sauted vegetables, anything fried - chicken, fish, pork. as i grew older, i tried to cook more "complicated" menu, with the help of my father.

During college, I am the usual cook everytime we have activities that require food. This is not because i am a good cook but because of budget constraints (and there was no one who wants to take on this task). It's much cheaper to prepare food by yourself. (it's tiring nga lang) So i cooked during our org's anniversary, bar operations for the bar ops team, etc. sometimes, my orgmates go to our house and i cook food for them. When i started working, i seldom cook, because my father usually cooks and at the that time,we have household help who prepare food for us.

i regained interest in cooking when i became active in the blogosphere. I came across food bloggers (c/o candice's awesome foodies link, like market manila . btw, candice too has some nice foodies on her entries ) who share recipes, put on some pictures (which usually make me starve!) review and rate food. from appetizers to main courses to desserts, you name it, and they have it. it just interests me to read their entries (though i had to suffer from starving and salivating while reading them)

Since my father moved to the province, it's only me and my mother at home. Somethimes she doesn't cook anymore because it'll only be for the two of us (thank God for take outs!) and/or sometimes, she's too tired from work to cook. I saw this as a perfect opportunity to go back to cooking. so last weekend, armed with ideas from food bloggers, i planned our menu for one week. i listed down the ingredients i will need and my mother went to the market to get them for me. i designed the menu in such a way that it can be cooked the night before and be reheated the next day for dinner, without spoiling of course. So sunday night, i prepared some food. i cooked adobo (for monday, so that when my mom comes home after work, she doesn't need to cook anymore, and all she has to do is to reheat it) i also marinated the pork steak (i got so inspired by the pork steak of market man so i thought i had to make one) On tuesday, I cooked fried rice for dinner (the one with egg, shrimp and luncheon meat). Since i had some left overs, i brought it to work yesterday and my friend Rhoda, sampled it, and she liked it (Yipee!) Last night's dinner was Paksiw na Bangus, c/o my mother. For tonight, we will have the pork steak. I cooked it last night and brought some today to work to let my friends taste it. again they liked it (they really are my friends!, hehehe!) Now that's some inspiration to cook some more! Tomorrow, i will be preparing fried chicken, and now i have to prepare extra for Brye, Rocel and Rhoda (because of Brye's insistence). What I usually do with the chicken is to steam it with butter, garlic and other herbs after marinating them. after steaming, i let it cool for while, quote with some flour and then fry it. (well, i shall see the verdict for this tomorrow).

i am just thankful for the food bloggers for writing so passionately about food and cooking that it inspired me to cook. Next time, i will try to post pics too of the food i prepared. You just have to bear with my pics as i am only armed with 2 megapixel celfone camera. Bon Appetit! ;0)

sucked out life @ 9:50 AM