Background

I don't think I was quite so intrigued with cooking as a child. I seemed to remember that I enjoyed watching cakes and breads being made; but nothing more than that really. There's actually a family joke that I would need to find a husband who could cook. But then something happened after my first year of university. I'm not sure if it was triggered by my undergraduate studies in Medical Dietetics (where we talked about food all day) or assisting my mom in the kitchen, but the interest in food took its first form in desserts. Then came the fascination with trying all types of desserts. And gradually, it spilled over to anything related to food.

Unfortunately, my educational days surrounded by the topic of food has ended as I'm now pursuing a PhD in Engineering, or Nanotoxicology to be exact. But now, as I live away from home, my biological demands for livelihood has plagued me with the constant questions of: what am I going to eat, what should I cook, what do I need to buy, how should I cook it, what ingredients should I use, how can I enhance the flavor, etc. During my off hours, I find myself reading food magazines and articles, skimming recipes, and watching food videos. Essentially, food and cooking have taken over my domestic life (we won't even mention my research life...).

For the last two or so years of my undergraduate studies, I spent some time experimenting with desserts, ranging from making simple things--fruit tarts, chiffon cake, steamed sponge cake, chocolate mousse, marbled chocolate-covered strawberries, and tiramisu--to complex things--chocolate truffle swans, frozen lemon and white chocolate souffle, and puff pastry--to manipulating ingredients and mixing components--healthify-ing oatmeal raisin cookies, making strawberry cheesecake with fresh strawberries and yogurt placed over an oatmeal raisin cookie crust, and tiramisu cheesecake. I ventured into meals, but mostly for special occasions.

Now, daily living has moved meals to center stage and desserts to the side. And with my experimental nature, many of my dishes have come out "strange," even if my housemates deem the smell as delicious. But it's a fun learning process; and I hope to reach a point where it becomes somewhat second nature and more dishes come out tasting good rather than strange.

And to keep with the spirit of food fanaticism, I've decided to start a blog as a documentary of my food musings, tastings, and experimentations (thanks to Clotilde Dusoulier from Chocolate & Zucchini for the final stimulus). I hope it'll intrigue you as much as food fascinates me.