Bday Cook Out Night

I were celebrating my 31st bday in a very special way. Instead of fancy sit down dinner, my friends and I had a blast at cooking class. It's so much fun to work out in the kitchen with friends (especially someone taking care of the dishes for us!). I realized my friends are very talented in cooking and everyone did a great job! We should have it more often.


Cooking Menu
*Pan Fried Foie Gras with Apple Salad
*Lobster Bisque
*Pan Fried Pork Loin with Truffle Sauce
*Panna Cotta with Molten Cake

All begins with...

My first cooking experiences began with these Japanese cooking playset. Thank you to my dear cousins who bought such as nice set of toys for me - I've been keeping it for more than 20 years now and I'm still loving it. It's just a brilliant design which keep the kids busy boiling or frying their own veggies & meats while their Mama busy for real cooking.

Kids from the old days were jealous about me having the set - I'm not kidding but sorry I'm a single child and I don't like to share - whatever :)

My 1st Blog - Cooking Therapy

My first cooking experience back in high school time, making instant spaghetti out from package and bring to school for lunch or making chicken wings or meat from bbq pack as main dish for parties. It never be creative or tasty! Until one time 2 of my good friends visited me at home and we made so much food which was good enough to feed hundreds people and the most important is all tastes good. I realized I should take more challenges in cooking.

During my career break last year, I've been investing plenty of good moment into cooking and I'm deeply in love with it. I enjoyed the experiences shopping at local wet market, browsing recipes over internet, reading blogs, spending 3 hrs for preparation, playing & twisting around recipes, using my own imaginations and limited cooking skills to finish the dishes. After all, I feel happy and satisfied - especially when you shared all your goodies foodies with your love ones and friends. I'm sure loves and cares can been express through cooking, regardless it's as simple as instant noodles.

Cooking is not a competition - so do whatever your want as you can! It's meaningless to compare your cooking with others, but rather to enjoy the process from preparation to cooking, challenge yourself and think about the meaning behind of your cooking.

The process of 'cooking' is actually a good way to distress or as a cognitive therapy. Sparing few hours for your cooking project during the week and focus one item each time. I usually do my brain storming during the week (especially when I feel bored at work which happened all the time!) and then finish my project in the weekend. It is easier and more enjoyable if you have a quality sleep the night before as well as adequate preparation time!

Aim to achieve one goal at a time - it could be making a sunny side up as breakfast and decorated with a lovely daisy to surprise your love ones. The statisication will make you day or week where it's easily achivable. It's important to find happieness out of small thing in your life but then you'll realize it wasn't that small after all.

I usually prefer to lock myself in the kitchen when I cook so to have a pure moment of cooking and not being disturbed. Just focus on how to cook my stuff but nothing else. Stepping out and taking a short break from hectic life is actually a good way to refresh yourself. Cooking in hot sweaty summer is a good work out too.

Start your happy cooking project now and come back to visit my blog often for more cooking ideas!

Regards
J-Wu

http://www.rehabmed.ualberta.ca/shesmail/ot209/cooking2/index.htm