Cooking like Jazz
I started cooking when I was 10 years old. I started with something pretty basic - just eggs. Scrambled, fried and a good fluffy omelette. I would need a little assistance initially, but slowly I gained confidence to cook on my own and soon enough I was experimenting! My 12 year old self was super proud of the cheese salami omelette I made one Sunday.
Picasso said:
"Learn the rules like a pro, so that you can break them like an artist.”
Eggs might have started my love affair with cooking, but it has only grown from there. I started cooking Italian and Asian and Mexican - learning to slowly expanding my palette and those of others around me.
Similar to my journey with eggs, I would start with following the recipe to the T and then over time, would start experimenting. I’d replace certain ingredients with my own. Kitchen became yet another place for me to express myself creatively.
When I moved out of home, I learnt how to cook Indian food - never having to worry about it while I was home. I lived alone and cooked 3 meals a day - finding my solace in a bowl of noodles or some pasta after a rough day at work.
Now I cook like a Jazz musician.
Creating flavours, textures and combinations has become second nature. There are days when I pretend to be in a Masterchef episode - trying to maximise creativity with the limited ingredients in my fridge. I have food pairing epiphanies and complain about bad food in restaurants. Food is constantly in the background - always thinking about it in one way or the other.
And you know what’s the best part? Being able to share it with others!
