The Apron

I grew up watching everybody in my family cooking; mom, dad (doesn't cook, but has excellent knowledge of herbs and meat cuts), grandmas, grandpa, aunts, uncle, but rarely involved in it myself: too many cooks in a kitchen can be chaotic, often dangerous. My style is a little bit different from theirs; my grandma has this deep frown on her forehead when I try to convince to her the word 'artistic,' 'rustic' and 'free-form' in replicating her beautifully pleated dumplings.

It is from them that I learn how to gut fish (don't like doing it though), to tend the 8 hours steaming of Indonesian rice rolls in banana leaves, to wrap and tie the cone shape of Chinese Sticky Rice in lotus-leaf and and ah.. two cleavers chopping at once (imagine 4 people in kitchen!). Still not very fond to be in same kitchen with them, but sentimentally, half of this blog - is theirs.

All and all, different person, style, what not, cooking should be fun! And, entertaining, as much as therapeutic.