Story of a cooking enthusiast – LOVE COOKING FROM EARLY AGE
( Emma 10 years ago, just married!)
2:54 p.m. March 6th 2014, I woke up and started writing the story of a cooking lover – me.
First, let’s rewind a bit back to when I was smaller. As I can recall, my family was really poor. My parents had to work really hard to make sure everyone has a dish on the table at the end of the day. That’s why me and my siblings were no strangers in the kitchen to help as much as we could.
I couldn’t recall the first time I started cooking rice or boiling vegetables but it must be really early, maybe second grade. At that moment, I usually went to the kitchen to cook rice or just to boil some water for my father.
The stove at that moment was not gasoline or electric. It was a small metal shelf with coal, hay or wood underneath to cook the pot and cookware that stood above.
There was a day when the hay was still wet, I threw it into the stove and tried so hard to start the fire but unable to ignite. I was really scared at that moment since I didn’t want to be scolded by dad.
Another memory from that day was that I usually ditched napping time to go with neighbor kids to find some dried leaves or wood for cooking. Finding was actually not the right term. We usually asked people to do the yard sweeping but if they didn’t allowed, we usually got into their yard to steal those things so we could cook. I can recall being chased by their dog while stealing, even teased the dog on purpose then ran as a game.
There were days when dad woke up and couldn’t find me so he went find us. If I got caught there sure some whoops for ditching napping. After many times got whooped, I figured it out if I make some reasons up, such as gathering wood for cooking, the chance to get some spanks would be smaller. I was so childish back then to make up reasons for my playing.
But I would like to thank my dad, for guiding me to the cooking passion. I also thank my hard childhood that has formed me into the one I am today. Dad was the first one who taught me to start fire up, to boil water up, to cook vegetables, rice and many other simple dishes that he himself had been taught at a young age.
I have learned many dishes from him just by watching him cooking. It was not much since we were not so rich. My usual dishes at that time was rice with boiled vegetable or stir-fried vegetable. We did have meat but it was so rare. Most of the time we have rice with salted sesame, fish sauce with mashed boiled egg, or fried pork fat.
If you don’t know which “fried pork fat” is, this is it: There is a big chunk of pork fat bought from market if you fry this on a pan, the fat will run out leaving back a thin crispy part of pork fat which goes so well with fish sauce and white rice. I also used that with Blumea lanceolaria and it tasted delicious. Fish and meat were not something of daily dish but to be expected in Tet or holiday since it was luxurious back then.
At that time, my parents had to do many jobs but at the end, they have chosen to stay with butchery and still doing the job till this day. Thanks to the job, I had the chance to learn more about cooking, especially meat related dishes at young age. Ones I couldn’t forget was meat and shrimp cooked with fish sauce along with sour fish soup which I could reduplicate perfectly.
For the first dish, meat and shrimp cooked with fish sauce, I was taught at school in cooking classes. I just bought the correct ingredients, followed instructions and correctly seasoned. The outcome was so good every one of my family loved it.
The second one, sour fish soup was a bit tricky since it required lots of ingredients, not to mention that there were decorations included. If I recall correctly I had spent the whole morning for shopping and cooking, preparing for the ingredients as well but family loved it so I was really happy about it. My dad even said that I was the best cook in my family and my parents always ate more when I was in charge. But this dish took not only efforts but also lots of money, I had calculated and it took my mom’s whole day payment so I avoid making it ever since.
I cooked the easier one like meat and sauce, stir-fried vegetables, boiled vegetables and low-cost dishes in general. These are all textbook recipe and nothing special dishes that every Vietnamese knows. I cooked since I was in secondary schools all the way up to university without adding more dishes to my library. Sometimes I find a new recipe to try but to be honest, the chance was really low back then.
I dreamed to be a cook since then, but at that moment, cook was not a respectable job/career, not even well-known. When it comes to jobs, people usually regarded as doctors, teachers, bankers or fly attendance…No one respected or regarded cooks.
Following social expectation, I signed up for Vietnam University of Diploma (or Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam nowadays) to have a status at that moment. I didn’t got admitted to University degree but accepted for intermediate level. I studied there for 2 years but deep down inside, I just wished I could cook and follow my passion. But I was unable to do that, which I have regretted deeply until today.
After graduation, I was rushed into the hectic life of work, finding jobs, working hard to have sufficient money for myself and parents so I got no chance to eat out at food stalls, not to mention restaurant. Most of that time I at instant noodle and noodle of many types. I wished weekends to arrive so quickly so I could go home and enjoy family meals.
I always called dad when I was about to get home and he would always prepare my favorite dishes such as fish cook with sauce, noodle and roasted meat…I have never tried restaurant by myself, most of the times were being invited by friends, hosted by my work place… I always avoid spending on restaurants since I can use the amount to do other things, buying stuffs for my families or cook more with the same amount of money at home.
When I got married, my husband was the first person to bring me to restaurants where I have never experienced before, try foods I have never tasted in my life, use the dining ware I have never used before. My life has turned to a new page. I have more chance to buy and tried different dishes, regardless of having cooked as a personal chef for other people.
I will update more in the second chapter of this, it’s 3:57 now so I will try to get some sleep.