Culinary Arts

This post is dedicated to all my friends and families who had helped me become a better cook. Thanks to you, now my family and I can eat better tasty meals! It's healthy for our bodies and wallet. I felt a need to write this post, because without them, I won't be able to cook like I am today. This post is also dedicated to my Mama Nancy, Oma Tjie, and Grandma Marilyn. You are my culinary teachers and I can't thank you enough!

1. Jacqueline Tan.
When I got married in 2005, I had no clue what I need to do in the kitchen. I was born and raised in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia. Jakarta is a big city with lots of restaurants, from simple food trucks and cafes to elegant dining style restaurants. My parents and I never have to worry to cook, because food was cheap and there are so many restaurants to try each day. So, when I moved to USA and become a new bride, I panicked. I asked my bff Jacqueline to share with me her recipes because Jacqueline is a pro in culinary arts and once worked as a chef in a prestigious hotel in Jakarta. She shared 2 recipes to me: Beef Stew, and Sweet and Sour Chicken. Thanks to Jacqueline, I have a bit confidence stepping into the kitchen.

2. Grefin Harsa.
I asked Grefin to teach me some basic simple recipes, that easy to apply for a novice like me. She shared with me her homemade gorgonzola sauce which I can apply for any dish. Thanks to Grefin I was able to experiments her sauces and incorporated that to various dishes! I wrote her sauce in a piece of paper, which I still have until now.

3. Ignatia Suwarna.
I really have to thank Ignatia for introducing me to Food Network. She recommended I watch Rachael Ray because her dishes are simple, easy, and good for beginner. I remember sitting down in front of TV in my small apartment and write down everything Rachael said when she made her demo in 30 minutes meals. I printed her recipes and follow it step by step. I can't imagine what my world will be without Food Network, so thank you Ignas for sharing this with me when I firstly got here in US!

4. My husband that I love so much, Lloyd Sanders.
This man is a wonderful audience and my number one critique. He'll be honest. If my meal doesn't deserve an 8 (aka a bad meal), he'll say it. He won't hesitate to let me know the quality of the dishes, which make me want to improve the next time I make the same dish. Good thing he's patient. It takes me 11 years to be where I am today (in the terms of culinary arts), so I can't imagine how deep his patience is to me! When we firstly got married, our first fight was how to cook a spaghetti. It's pretty funny actually. I insisted that the raw ground beef can be put into the cooked sauce right away, and he insisted that the ground beef must be browned first. Finally we call Grandma Marilyn and she advised the correct way to do it (which is Lloyd's way). I cried and almost gave up cooking, because I don't know how, but Lloyd shown me how easy it was. He said,"Just read the recipe, and start from step number 1, then step number 2, then step number 3." I applied what he said, and it works! It boosts my confidence in trying to cook again. He complimented me whenever I made the dish right. I am so thankful for his supports. And now he never have to worry whenever I make a spaghetti meal!

I also would like to thank my favorite chefs from TV:
1. Food Network: Rachael Ray, Giada De Laurentiis, Ina Garten, Paula Deen, Bobby Flay, Sunny Anderson, Sandra Lee, Sara Moulton, Tyler Florence, Guy Fieri, Alton Brown, Ree Drummond, Trisha Yearwood, Alex Guarnaschelli, Nigella Lawson, Bobby Deen, Geoffrey Zakarian, Mario Batali, Emeril Lagasse, Michael Symon, Jeff Mauro, Katie Lee, Melissa D'Arabian, Dave Lieberman, Robert Irvine, Aarti Sequeira.

2. Cooking Channel: Tia Mowry, Tiffany Amber-Thiessen, Roger Mooking, Chuck Hughes, Mo Rocca, Kelsey Nixon.

I'm still learning. I'm still cooking daily. Thanks to everyone who had helped me, now I love cooking in the kitchen! :)