Hello everybody let me
share with you the steps in my journey that have brought me here and the people
that have inspired me to reach my goals.
My mom was the
first person to teach me the basics of the kitchen when I was little.
She told me I had to learn to cook like her, so that when I was
away from home I won’t have to miss my family's cooking. My mom
told me that someday I would understand. At first none of that made
sense to me because I never imagined myself being away from my family. One
day in my adolescence, my uncle Juan, who was known in town for his
culinary skills, invited me to a tour of festivals in different towns
where he was responsible for preparing the banquet for the parties. That
was a beautiful experience, because I like traveling to different towns where
his reputation was known and I saw how people loved him and admired his work
and dedication. I remember my uncle Juan used to
say, “Son, if you learn how to cook, this is a very noble profession,
and if you do it from the bottom of your heart, it will open the
door to wherever your life takes you”. At that time, I did not
understand the meaning of his words. When the time came for me to be
away from my family, my mother's words showered on me like rocks
because there were occasions when I had no choice but to eat food with bad
flavor. It was then when I decided to buy some basic
cooking utensils and begin to recreate the dishes of my family, starting
with breakfast because it was the easiest thing for me to do. That's
when I discovered that basic skills were inside of me,
though I did not have the perfection of my mom or
my uncle Juan. Nevertheless, I felt that I had my family
close to me again. With the passage of time, through trial
and error, I was able to recreate some of the family
recipes-thanks to the teachings of my mom and my uncle Juan.
Many
years later, I found my passion in my career as a scuba
instructor in the island of Cozumel. Through my career of meeting
people from various parts of the world, I had opportunities to enrich
my palate with new flavors and different styles of
food. Since then, I’ve gained a respect and admiration for
those behind the scenes delivering dishes with dedication and
creativity. Since I came to the United States a few years ago, leaving
Cozumel to be with my wife, I have taken job openings which I did not
particularly care for. My wife saw my frustration, and recorded a
television program, in which The Chefs Academy advertised and promoted a
new cooking school in the area. Watching the program lit the spark in
my head, and at the same time, the words of my
uncle Juan hit me in the face like a frying pan as
well. My wife’s gesture has ended up showing me the way to a new
opportunity in my life, where I can dedicate my time
to something I’m really passionate about again. So far, I’ve
only cooked for my wife, who enjoys and appreciates my efforts in the
kitchen, but I hope to gain more experience, knowledge, techniques
and different cooking styles soon, and have the opportunity to put my enthusiasm
into something tangible for others to enjoy.
I’ve got
my inspiration in the career of cooking thanks to my family from
whom I got my first lessons and advice, and also thanks to my wife,
who ignited a spark inside of me that’s hard to extinguish now.
