Some people say, “I can’t cook” or “I can’t bake” but honestly anyone can do it. Join me on my road of culinary adventures and let’s get cooking in that kitchen together!
Cooking and baking was an everyday event growing up in rural Newfoundland with my grandparents, mom, and aunts. I never understood why my grandma loved to cook and bake so much – it seemed like so much work – until I got older and cooked a delicious meal or baked a yummy treat that all my friends and family loved. That “mmm” sound they would make, the smiles on their faces, the going for seconds, and the empty plates on the table made me want to keep delving into the culinary world and learn new dishes or experiment with new flavors all so I could make the people I love want to eat everything and anything I conjured up in the kitchen.
I always had an idea of how to cook certain dishes from watching or helping my grandmas but it took a lot of trial and error to get it exactly how I wanted it. Baking for me was an entirely other ball game because it requires just the right amount of whatever is going into the dish and one mistake could mean starting over from the very beginning – no room or very little room for error. I would have to say I really found my passion for cooking after I moved out on my own and really wanted to embrace my independence – but I had a lot to learn! Traveling really helped me grow into my palette after tasting international dishes from whatever country I was in. I couldn’t believe the amazing flavors the world had to offer – it was like my mouth had this wonderful awakening.
I love to watch cooking shows, look up new recipes for dishes I love to cook and try entirely new recipes from different cultures so I can prepare myself for Master Chef Canada one day – got to dream big my friends, right! The last few years I really got into baking and tried to get a grip on it even somewhat close to the grip my grandmother had on it – she could bake anything and everything, it was incredible. I started doing breads, cookies, muffins, cinnamon buns, cakes – basically the basics. At my seasonal lodge work I would bake something new every week for the new guests and personally delivery them to each cabin, at my home work I would bring in different desserts for my fellow employees to enjoy, at Christmas I always did little baked goody boxes for my friends and I would love to make birthday cakes for the people I loved. My baking is still a work in progress but I’m really mastering soups, focaccia bread and muffins at the moment.
I will share some of my favorite ingredients and recipes below in the comments and I would love some feedback on them. Please share all of your favorite ingredients and recipes with me as well along with amazing stories of all of your culinary adventures – the good, the bad and the ugly!
