What got me started in cooking?

A lot of people ask me what got me started cooking. Well, my mother is going to hate this, but she was the inspiration. Why do I say that she will hate this? I never liked my mother's cooking when I was growing up. I always knew that there was better food out there, somewhere. In my mother's defense, she had six people to feed on a very limited budget. I have to say now that all of her children are grown up, she is a much better cook.

Anyway, it was my grand parents who took me to my first fancy restaurant for lunch. That's when my dreams of better food were realized. It was after my first communion. I can't remember how old I was but I was very young. They took me to an elegant place called The Gelston House in East Haddam Connecticut. I was dressed to the nines, jacket, tie and all. I felt like a bigshot when I ordered a Roy Rogers (male version of a Shirley Temple). I can still remember what I ate that day. I had a shrimp cocktail and a club sandwich. For a little boy that was some fancy food. From that day on, I was in love with food.

I remember making cream of broccoli soup when I about eight. I followed a recipe in
The Joy Of Cooking. It came out great. I was so proud. I gave a tupper ware of soup to my mother's friend, a self proclaimed gourmet, Beth Mckinney. She praised my soup making skills.

When I was fifteen, my best friend Seth and I rode our bicycles to the docks about eight miles from our neighborhood and got summer jobs as busboys on a small cruise ship. The ship ran two cruises per day serving lunch and dinner. We worked six days a week from about 9:00 am til about 2:00 am for $3.50/hour. I still to this day can't figure out how we kept up that pace, but we did.

One day I went to work and I walked into the galley to start my shift and the chef asked if I would mind washing dishes. The regular dishwasher had called in sick. I said that I would be happy to. Before the customers came aboard, There were only pots and pans to wash which I quickly caught up with. The chef asked me to do some simple prep work which I gladly did. It is pretty standard for dishwashers to peel potatoes, carrots, chop onions, peel shrimp and such. I absolutely loved working with food. I was hooked.

That was twenty two years ago, and I haven't left a kitchen since, until now. Since those days I have had the opportuny to work for some of the best unknown chefs in the business at the some of the finest restaurants and clubs anywhere. I have run my share of kitchens too. I am currently only working from home. I cater weddings and small parties. Because of my love for food, and I have extra time, I decided to start a blog. I want it to be imforative and instructional, sort of like a little cooking school.

I welcome any comments and questions. As my good friend Chef Josh says, the only stupid question is the one you don't ask. If you ask a question, I will answer to the best of my ability.