Back to my roots

My mother and I in the kitchen I grew up in

I recently had a week long visit to the house I grew up in.  I stood in the kitchen and had vivid memories of cooking.  I remember my mother coming home from work and starting the night's dinner. I would stand by my mom or help her prepare whatever she had decided we were going to have.  I remember the smells the most.  I remember the feeling I would get when I smelled something delicious from my bedroom and it would bring me to the kitchen.  The safe place, my true home. 

I never knew it was something I loved until I was older but at the time it was just plain fun.  I remember making my mother breakfast in bed as eggs were my specialty.  I remembered rifling through the pantry and the numerous spices my mother had and landing on curry powder.  I didn't even know it at the time but I was making authentic Indian food as 10 year old.  I would whip up curried potato and pea stew like I had been born into it.  I can still hear the sizzling and the happiness it would bring me.

Even then I felt peace when in the kitchen.  Years later it was my mother who suggested I go to culinary school.  It was never something I had ever given a thought to but once spoken I felt it to be my path.  I loved every minute of that 4 month intense course.  I commuted every day to Manhattan with my knife bag and chef's whites.  It felt good to have a passion.  Ever since then I have been involved with many facets of the culinary world.  From restaurants, health food stores and being someone's personal chef.  I have enjoyed all of these roles but I am still holding out for my own place.  I see it in my mind, I taste the food, hear the customers chatting and it fills me with hope.  One day, maybe.  I do know that when that day comes I will have my mother to thank.  I will thank her for being my inspiration and for showing me that I can accomplish anything I put my mind to.  Thanks Mom for knowing me better than I know myself and for trying every concoction(good and bad) I came up with to get to where I am now.

Working on my final at The Natural Gourmet Institute