Foodie and Beyond

I don't know if being a foodie is hereditary or is just acquired through time, all I know is that, I can't help being one.

As a kid, I always spend time in the kitchen, watching my mom as she cooks our meal. I was so eager to help her and so, she would let me do simple task like beating the eggs or sifting the flour. My mom is a very good cook. She loves to buy cookbooks and she’ll read it before she goes to bed. I think part of me being a foodie, is because of my mom. I would always try to be like her and imitate what she’s doing. So at the age of seven, I was already fond of watching cooking shows. At the age of 8, my mom gave me my first ever cookbook, entitled “Look Ma, I Can Cook!” Like my mom, I even had a notebook where I jot down recipes from the cooking show; “Cooking with the Daza’s” I also cut recipe clippings from newspapers and magazines. At the age of 9, I was already allowed to cook fried eggs and hotdogs. I also did love sleeping over at my Aunt Janice’s place because she would let me do more kitchen chores than my mom. I can still remember making colorful Pichi-pichis with her. My mom already knew then that I wanted to become a kitchen empress. She enrolled me in cooking and baking classes during summer. I’ve tried attending Dorothy Ferrer’s cooking class, Sylvia Cancio’s baking course, Xavier’s cooking workshop and so on and so forth.

I can remember being so excited to school as we started cooking lessons on our T.H.E. class. I was frequently appointed as the group leader in our Home Economic class until high school. After taking the career assessment test, I then realized that I was more into hospitality track. Actually, my parents wanted me to take Computer Science because that was the fad at that time and that 2 of my “computer-enthusiast” cousins got admirable jobs. So I chose com-sci and took the exam at my dream university, De La Salle. But on that examination day, I already knew that I would not get into La Salle. Because I answered the questions vertically after learning that the questions were arranged horizontally. It was too late to change my answers given that there were only 15 minutes left. That’s were I realized my true calling. And so I took Bachelor of Science in Hotel Restaurant and Institution Management, major in culinary arts at De La Salle – College of St. Benilde. Well, not bad! I am still a green-blooded mortal. hehehe =).

I am glad that I took that course because I became more open to the culinary World. That was the start of everything. My realization, my pathway, they became clear to me. I then learned that I want to become a pastry chef someday, and I want to learn different cultures through their food. I want to have my own food business. I want to learn more culinary skills through experience and to broaden my culinary wisdom by studying abroad.

I was so happy when I got accepted as a trainee at Shangri-la hotel, Makati (SLM). I was assigned at the garde manger dept., pastry dept (my fave!), Main Kitchen and Butchery. Right after my graduation, I was hired as a seasonal casual for the Christmas production by Chef Werner, the former Executive Pastry Chef of SLM. I was so excited and nervous at the same time because that was my first job. We made thousands of assorted cookies and ginger bread houses. I was sad as the holiday ends, because that’s also my last day since I was only hired for Christmas season (2 months only). I cried when I got home and my mom comforted me. She understands my feeling. Even though I worked 8-12 hours a day, and got sick for a month, she knew I was longing for that kind of job. I cried because I am going to miss my job. The Shang’s pastry kitchen is my 2^nd home.

But my hope doesn’t end there, before January ends, I already had a job at Bizu Patisserie. I was a Pastry attendant in their Greenbelt branch. I was assigned at the pastry vitrine, where I was in-charge in garnishing all the cakes delivered from the commissary. The cakes and the garnishes were already made. The work was easy yet very boring I miss the real kitchen action. I felt that I am not learning. Working in Bizu had taught me on how a fine dining resto works and the entire inventory thingy. But that’s just it, monotonous, irksome. Then fter a month and a half of working there, Chef Jojo, the former Pastry dept,’s Chef De Partie surprisingly called me and asked if I wanted to go back to SLM; and of course, you all know the answer. I resigned at Bizu and returned to Shang, not as a seasonal casual anymore, but as a permanent casual!

So here I am now, still working at Shangri-la’s pastry kitchen. I work 8-12 hours a day and 6 day a week. I have work during holidays like Christmas season and the whole holy week. I have lesser time with my family and friends. No more weekly night-outs. I know that it’s a tough job and that I have to sacrifice a lot but I just can’t leave my job. Not now, not yet. Maybe someday, when I get really tired on working at hotel, I’ll just continue my passion by putting up my own business or just write food articles like this.

I love to make people happy by serving them food. I just can’t stop eating or talking about food. I suppose I’m really a food aficionado. My profound passion for food runs in my blood. Good thing, I was born with it. ♣