How I Began To Learn Cooking.

How I Began To Learn Cooking.

So FOOD is a BIG thing in the family. Dad cooked more (he was in the field force, literally translated as "forest police") when I was younger and mom learned most of what she knew (Chinese food) from him or our neighbour in Miri, Chik Seniah (Malay food). Mom excels at cooking Bidayuh food and making preserved meat, fish or vegetable. Dad is more into his Chinese roots. He would observe how the food is cooked in the shops or ask the cooks in  the restaurants and try to prepare it at home.

Mom with her grandchildren 

I started getting interested in food preparation when I tasted how different and better the rice my sumbuk (Bidayuh maternal grandmother) cooked on her ancient wooden fireplace (during my 2 weeks school holiday) compared to the one cooked on my mom's modern gas stove.

I started helping mom in the kitchen cooking rice when I was 12. At 13, during school 1st semester holiday at my (maternal older uncle) Soma Sama Teddy's quarters in Ipoh, my cousin Julia and I burned our first leaf-wrapped fish cooked on the stove. We got an earful from our (aunt) Tua' Sino Teddy.

Since then, I made it a point to learn how to cook. I enrolled in the school Cooking Club and learned to cook fried noodle. Then in Tae Kwan Do Club, I learned how to prepare and sell sardine rolls. I have improvised much of the recipe since (I disliked the raw onion mixed with canned sardine taste).

At 14, when again I spent my 1st semester holiday at Soma Sama Teddy's quarters in Kulim, I was assigned by my aunt to cook for the family (except my little cousin's food) to help me improve my cooking skills. Since then, I would monopolize the kitchen whenever I am around.

At school, I made sure I took an active role in the Interclass Cooking Competition (we cooked freshwater fish dishes), the Ecology Club fundraising food sale (we cooked sambal tumis sotong and udang) and Girls' Volleyball Team Cooking Competition (we cooked Kuzi Arnab) to get the hang of  various cooking skills, techniques and recipes.

Back home during the one month year end holiday, my parents would share with me their own forte. I learned how to cook all the Bidayuh dishes from mom. I bought Chinese recipe books that contain recipes that my dad liked and learned how to improvise the taste.

When I got to know my boyfriend (now my husband), I truly understood what it means by "The Way To A Man's Heart Is Through His Stomach"! Hahahaha!!