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photo credit:
DISMATSEK, Michael Nikas |
All my life, food has been an important part of everyday experiences. Being from Colombia , South America, my parents grew up eating fresh food, not frozen or pre-made food. They instilled in me the love of real food. I remember being in my high chair in the family kitchen, close enough to smell and see mom cook. She’d let me lick spoons and try stuff. Good times.
My mom was a great cook. She didn’t enjoy it as much as I do now, but mom was wise enough to encourage me to come into the kitchen at an early age to help her out. Smart eh? I’m sure I was more of a hindrance at first, than a help, but my wise mom slowly taught me how to wash & spin lettuces, stir mixes, peel vegetables and look for smoke! Ha ha! I’m not kidding
At age 16, I had the first taste of money, earned at my first job. Of course you frivolously spend it on going out with friends. I noticed that almost every time I went out to eat, when it was processed fast food. I became ill. I was discouraged. What’s the point of going out to spend the hard earned money on something you can’t keep down?
I realized that I could not eat the preservatives that were in many of these fast foods. They made me sick. So between my less than satisfactory experience with fast food dining and being the oldest of four siblings, I cooked more often at home as a result. I did more shopping, than eating out too! Thus my accessory fetish began!
I quickly became re-interested in good food, made from scratch, no chemical garbage, just real juicy fruits and vegetables and real meat cooked to perfection. None of this convenient, edible stuff that’s pre-cooked or frozen with an expiry date of 5 years. Ick!
I knew from an early age I had wanted to be a chef. I preferred watching cooking shows to cartoons most of the time. My little brother Jamie was not impressed. We fought a lot over the TV! After high school, I pursued being an apprentice. Everybody turned me down. I had no kitchen experience. Only fast food and coffee shop customer service at that point. I met a restaurateur that promised in a few months he would have a position open up in the kitchen, but right now, he needed a waitress. I was hired.
I got used to the money. Gratuities were great! I delayed my real passion. I got used to having dispensable income. Then I got married, put my husband through university to change careers and we bought a house we could barely afford. No time for taking a pay cut.
After one particularly bad day at work, I quit my job. My husband was not impressed. I made an announcement. I was going to be a chef. I was 28 years old. When most of my girlfriends were planning their last babies, I started a new career. Some were very encouraging, some were,… not. Undaunted, I knew it was now,… or never.
So without "dealing" or "stripping" (husband's request) I was able to afford to go from the top of one career to the bottom rung of another. I cleaned six houses a week for the first year to supplement my greatly diminished income. I was putting in a 50 hour week at my kitchen job on top of cleaning for 3-4 hours every morning. I was exhausted,… and finally very happy.
I also made the decision to not go to a regular culinary school. I enrolled at the closest and most prestige’s (expensive) school. My husband was not impressed, but supportive. When I called Stratford Chef School, it was already full for the season. So I asked for the application for the following year. While I was chatting on the phone with the ever- so- patient school alumni director, Elizabeth. There was a cancellation,… an opening!!! There were already 6 people on the waiting list. I asked to apply for it anyways. It was granted.
I was up half the night, typing up my admission essay, (yes, an essay!) to fax it in the next day. I made it down to the school the next day for both my verbal and practical interview. I was so nervous!!!! I was grateful for the opportunity. I sent Elizabeth flowers.( ya ya,… a kiss butt move,… so what !?) I don’t know if that helped. But I got a call the next day. I got it!! I did the dance of joy all over the house. Both my husband Mike and I were shocked!
One catch though, I had to come up with half the tuition within the week. Yikes!!! Remember the mortgage thing? Within 48 hours my life had changed. Expensively too! My parents came to my rescue. (Do you know how hard it is to ask your parents for a loan when you’re practically 30?!!!) I wanted to go to that school, quite badly,…so I swallowed my pride. (after all, I did cleaned other people’s toilets!)
It was a tough road, but worth every tear, cut, bruise and burn (kitchen war wounds). After my formal training at Stratford Chef School, I graduated with an award in Communications in 2002 . (That means I have a big mouth!) I am now a Canadian, RED SEAL certified cook.
I've pestered every chef I ever worked with for recipes. Chefs were like royalty,… almost. At least that’s what I thought, until I became one and I realized cooking is not hard, just takes practice, just like playing an instrument. You will make more noise at first, but eventually you’ll make,… music.
My first job at 16 years of age was in the hospitality business and I haven't looked back since. I've journeyed through almost every job position in the restaurant industry. First as a drive-through window girl, coffee house barista, bartender, dining room server, management, apprentice, food prep, caterer, line cook, purchaser, chef de partie, sous chef, executive chef, private chef and now instructor.
Throughout my entire career path I was often given the duty of training new employees and apprentices. Some people hate training the “new guy”, a chirping shadow on your shoulder all day. But I enjoyed being one of the few that actually relished empowering rather than impressing the new trainees. On a personal level, I'd often receive phone calls from friends and family concerning tricks of the trade, the "how’s" and "whys" of the culinary trade. Thus, "fooddiva.com" was born. I realized I’m an educator, not a producer.
My previous cooking experience consists of being most recently a personal chef for an elite family in their summer home on their private island on Lake Muskoka, Ontario, Canada. Besides the family, I’ve cooked for their interesting house guests, such as royalty, fortune 500 business tycoons and Beer barons for the last seven summers. Good times! I got that job straight out of culinary school. I was the only married applicant. Apparently they were actually looking for two! My husband Mike (who’s a teacher), gives up his holidays for me to further my career. He became their Maitre d’. I’ll keep him.
Locally, in Ontario Canada, I've worked with top chefs in the region. In order, Langdon Hall Country House Hotel Relais & châteaux, Art Bar & Wines Bistro, Yukiko's Patisserie & Café, Ali Baba Steak House, La Patisserie Pastry Shop, Aberfoyle Mill Restaurant, Peter Martin’s 20 King Street Bistro and various catering functions & fund-raisers.
Now, I have taken my love of cooking to an entirely different level in my culinary career. My company, www.fooddiva.com has made Canadian headlines for offering group cooking classes that turn an ordinary topic into a fun, interactive and addictive outing. In fact, even my most culinary challenged students find themselves coming back repeatedly to learn new tricks in the kitchen. Future POD CASTS will give you an inside peek.
I currently teach public, private, bridal and corporate cooking lessons from my home and other public venues. I also do kids culinary camps and promotional cookery demos, recipe writing, public speaking and a host of other services. Check out the Corporate and Private and Bridal Page for more details. And of course this new convenient ONLINE VIDEO TUTORIAL is just the bomb! I’m proud to offer this alternative to visual learners everywhere. Great gift idea!
Using humour and logical food theory, my instructional style has landed me on Canada’s HGTV, CKCO CTV, London TV, CH Hamilton Television Live, Breakfast Television, As a guest taster in the reality show Cooking School, in the Toronto Star, BESTTHINGS Magazine, host of the Kitchener Cooking Stage at the Total Woman Show and the food correspondent of “Grand River Living” on Rogers Television, Channel 20. I also was the food writer for OPEN Magazine in 2007.Winning Silver medal for the Waterloo Chronicle’s Reader’s Choice Award for “ Favourite Local Chef” and Bronze for “Favourite Local Caterer” in 2008 was a blast. Look for upcoming appearances on Global TV’s” Foodies” with Host Lesia Burlack and the Gemini nominated TV reality show “Till Debt Do Us Part”, as a money saving facilitator for the financially troubled couple. Wow what a ride!
Last but not least, exciting future plans for www.fooddiva.com is to expand the love of food to the very young. Foody-liscious story books for the young at heart are taking shape. I aim to help little ones learn to love food in their formative years. Other cool projects are in the works. Stay tuned!!
I decided to turn this website into an online cooking school to fill the need for anyone who has the desire to learn to cook but perhaps has limitations. Not everyone in the world can come over to my place. That would be one heck of a party! Or can afford the time (new parents, students, busy professionals & other hectic lifestyles) or perhaps my fees for personal instruction.
I noticed that most students lacked basic culinary skills that I had taken for granted. Even in the advanced classes, some students were at a loss as to what knives to use and how. It was very rewarding for me to help them gain new skills that directly impacted their enjoyment in food preparation. I compare it to Culinary Lego Blocks. Once you know what some of those funky looking pieces are for, you can build your dream home or a skyscraper. Your choice, you have the skills to take it as far as you wish.
So, I invite you to enhance your cooking expertise where all your questions will be answered. I hold no secrets! I truly feel that cooking is not only an art form, but a life skill as well. One that is all too rare these days. Even a few lessons could bring a lifetime of eating bliss.
Dispel the myth that a great meal can only be had at an expensive fine dining restaurant. Tease your taste buds in the comfort of your own kitchen.
