Pre-Culinary Education Knowledge

So often than not, one asks how I learned to cook . You see, cooking the way I do isn’t just a simple way of doing it. There is more complexity of knowledge required to be able to cook to at least my level of cooking. Without arrogance intended, I am not your normal engineering graduate from a Philippine university in terms of cooking and culinary knowledge. So let me show you a glimpse of how I learned on what I am passionately doing right now!

If you look at my about page, there are four major cuisines that I want to learn with Japanese being my highest priority. That said, I’ll show you how I am learning those four cuisines!

First of all, reading is required. This is true in any kind of profession. If you don’t read, I suggest you start reading now. There are two major forms of media that I read in terms of learning cuisine, one is through books, *look at the front picture*, the other one is through the internet!

Books have wealths of knowledge. One cannot get better quality information other than books! The internet is for the quick and new information that you need. So what books am I reading you might ask. In fundamentals of cooking, professional cooking and French cooking or western cooking I read these!

I believe that French cooking is a good background for foundation in my own culinary arts. You can actually throw modern American cuisine there also!

Sadly, I have little knowledge in terms of Chinese cooking. I only have one book at hand and I recommend you guys buying! This book is all about stir-frying and the use of the wok which I think is the heart of Chinese cooking technique!

Moreover, I am learning from a Chinese chef too! Meet Mr. Lu!

This guy is great in teaching techniques and familiarity of ingredients in all kinds of Chinese cooking. Next time, I’ll try making a Peking duck post I learned from him in the future here. 😀

Lastly, how did I learn from cooking Japanese cuisine? Learned it from a chef in a Japanese grocery store!

Am pretty sure you know New Hatchin for those Japanese food lovers here in Manila. New Hatchin is located in Makati.l I don’t have his picture but his name is Noda Sensei! He had a restaurant in Little Tokyo which I have yet to feature! He taught traditional Japanese cooking 😀 Now, he stopped being New Hatchin’s chef since he is more busy with his two restaurants. 😦

Lastly, how did I learn about the idea of professional cooking and the idea of what’s happening inside a professional kitchen. Anthony Bourdain and Michael Ruhlman need no introductions. 😀

So far, I think I have read about 75% of my books done. Am planning to finish Escoffier, Jacques Pepin’s Complete Techniques and Harold McGee before culinary school 😀

Besides books, how am I learning more? Easy, by watching shows! There are four major shows that I watch, Top Chef, No Reservation, Iron Chef America and Iron Chef Japan. I watch these shows to see more innovative culinary techniques out there and learn more about flavor profile. You would be amazed by the amount of information they give you. Moreover, traveling shows like No Reservation gives you a good glimpse of a particular cuisines’ philosophy and essence and understand why the country’s cuisine is such.

Top chef is my favorite T.V. series

Ofcourse, Bourdain, you either hate him or you like him!

Also, this is pretty basic actually, I cook! This is one, if not the best, way to learn cooking. There is a HUGE difference between reading cookbooks and actual doing it. For one, knife skills! If you are just starting to cook, am pretty plenty of vegetables that you will be cutting will slip out from your hand. There will be times that just making julienned carrots will take you ages to do it! Another one is fire control. Am pretty sure, if you are new to cooking, you burn food along the way. This is what I called cooking as a craft. It is about skills. If you want to cook at least at my caliber, you should not only cook and enjoy food because it is entertaining for you but also it is your passion. It becomes natural to you and it becomes part of you. 😀

Lastly, if there is something I learned recently if I want to learn a cuisine at its finest, I must travel. I repeat, I MUST TRAVEL! And what better way to grasp about Japanese cuisine?

I went to Japan lolz! You’d be surprise, if you know me personally I hate travelling and I traveled alone in Japan before to learn their food and gastronomy. And to be honest, I loved it! I loved it so much that I plan to go back and learn and hone my craft there. 🙂