Ambitious as Iâam; I was born and raised in the Philippines. My family and I came to the US in 1999 I was 20 years old. I donât know what the future awaits for me in America. My first job is a food chain (Burger King) I started from the back dropping burger in the broiler, prepping/cutting onions and tomatoes. Never in my life have I had work before. Experiencing this, is not what I expected for. But I know Iâm very ambitious person I always work hard to get myself up. After 2 years I was a Lead Supervisor and after 1 year I was Assistant Manager my work hard paid off. I work at the food chain for 6 years. But I always knew I can do better than this.
Year 2006 I decided to find another job. I found a job at Safety Systems and Signs Hawaii as an Account Receivables. I havenât work in this type of environment before. New hired should go to a 1 day computer training. I felt so embarrassed believed me I havenât work with Microsoft, Excel and etc. But did I gave up? No. Not my personality. At first Iâm having hard time but through all the training I became good in computer. What I learned to this company is taken care customers. There are ups and down but never I put myself down. I always started where I left off. As they said you canât please everyone so do what you think is right. Opportunity is the one thing I canât let go. When I asked to be trained for new department Iâm always accept it. Worked in different department gives me more ability to grow. I am very driven, hardworking and always show my passion at work. Not long I was offered to be a Rental Supervisor. I accepted even though in my mind Iâm afraid because this is a big task and responsibility. Dealing with different type of people taught me to be the person who I am today. Experience gives us the courage and confident to be good of everything we do. Treat that person the way you want to be treated. I stayed at this company for 6 years. Which really molded me to become a better person. I really thanked all the persons help me to reach my goals and never gave up on me.
After marrying my best friend in 2012 our family decided to move to UTAH. I know we need to adjust with the new environment. New place, new people and new friends. It wasnât hard for us to adjust to our new place which we called it home. And we knew this is where we really want to started and build our dreams that we canât have in Hawaii.
My husband always want to move back to his family here in UTAH. Leaving all my family and friends in Hawaii is hard. Iâm very ambitious so wherever the opportunity is thatâs where we should be. August of 2012 when we get to UTAH at first is not easy for me. The type of leaving here is not what I expected for. Iâm a party person and I always have a ladies night out with my gals back home. I got bored easily of course everything is new to us. It took me 2 months to find a job.
Finally I started working at a Trucking company as Account Receivable Clerk. I have no knowledgeable in this field. But my background help me get through with it. I always told myself this is only temporally. I enjoyed working with this company having a good co-workers and a manager who is very inspiring and appreciative of what you doing is what gives you more eager to work hard. Not for so long the company was sold. For 1 year and 4 moths that I worked here I have to say good bye. Most of us lost our job or position once they sold the company. Did I get nervous when I lost my job? Yes, of course. We just purchased our new house at that time. But it seems like everything was in good place. My husband is very supportive in everything I do.
After I lost my job, I asked my husband if I can have a break from work for a bit. Iâm a type of person that get bored easily. Searching for a job is very frustrating you have to be competitive out there. Since I canât find the job I got more stressed out and feel so agitated. Thatâs where my husband talked to me to go back to school and pursued my culinary dream.
Let me tell you how I started in cooking field. Iâm the oldest of 3 siblings. My parents are both farmers. As I grew up our parents always reminded us to focus our education because thatâs the only one thing that others canât take away from us. All the knowledge that I have is because of my parents. They both molded us to become the best we can be and I thanked them for that. My talent in cooking was a gift and Iâm pretty sure and proud to say that I inherit this talent from my parents. Watching my parents cooking, helping them in the kitchen prepping a food and from that day I knew one day Iâll be a good cook like them.
Cooking is my number one passion and my stress free reliever. I always experimenting new recipes when Iâm in the mood. Am very competitive I guess. When others can do it why canât I. But being said âcompetitiveâ for me you have to be yourself and not someone youâre not. Always be kind and humble with others especially to those who are in need. As my parents said keep your feet on the ground always and never forget where you came from. âDonât forget those people who inspired and helped you to achieve your dreamâ.
My first cooking competition was March 16, 2010 at St. Andrewâs Priory Honolulu, Hawaii for a âStew Challengeâ sponsored by BIA â Hawaii (Building Industry Association). Our company need to compete but they need someone who can cook and represent the company. Yup, I volunteer myself knowing I donât know what Iâm going to make. I just go with my guts saying âfollow my instinctâ. The competition is the next day. After work on the way home I need to stop at the grocery store and get all the ingredients I need for my stew. While at the grocery store my husband asked me this question; do you know what you making? My answer is âNOâ. Itâs funny because while having the conversation I just keep getting and grabbing stuffed for my stew (Butternut squash, crawfish, parsley, chicken stock, fish sauce, salt and ground black pepper, sweet onion, garlic and etc). I was so stressed and nervous because I want this recipe to be good (havenât made this in my life). Got home and prepped everything. While making the stew I keep telling to myself âthis is going to be good and yummyâ. The day of the competition I wasnât able to go because of my work (end of the month closing). My husband and our dear friend went to present the stew. They got there knowing they donât what the âstewâ called or name. Well they made up the name and came up with âGEORGE STEWâ. The competition is judge by Flavor, Originality and Presentation. When my husband and our good friend came back from the competition they surprise me; they took home 3rdPlace. I was so stun with the result. I canât even imagined that our âGEORGE STEWâ made it to 3rd Place. This is a very big accomplishment to me and to the company that we worked for. Iâm so proud of my creations. I knew then that I want to be in the culinary field.
The following year March 22, 2011 we entered again with the same competition. Yup, that Iâm able to attend it. Knowing all your competition are had their best foods too. Nervous as usual, yet still managing my confident. At the end of the never thought or expected we won 2nd place.
My third food competition was here in UTAH. I represented my beloved country PHILIPPINES for the ASIAN FESTIVAL FOOD COMPETITION. All ASEAN COUNTRY need to compete to one another. You name it. All of my competitor are restaurant owners and professional. I believed Iâm the only amateur. Before I got to this competition a good friend of ours asked me if I want to join and represent my country PHILIPPINES. My answer is YES. Knowing in my mind I donât even know what to make. Yup that so me! I always go with my instinct. The day before the competition I felt a little bit sick (NERVOUS). But this doesnât stop me for the competition. Woke up early to make the food. I decided to make a CHICKEN SIGSIG. Did I make this before? NO, never in my life. CHICKEN SISIG my version, made with pan /grilled chicken (I used boneless & skinless chicken thighs) diced and seasoned with salt, black ground pepper, sweet onions, garlic, hot chili pepper (to give that kick), mayonnaise, calamansi juice (if this is not available) use the lemon juice and of course there is a secret ingredients to give that good taste in different level CHICKEN LIVER. When Iâm done making the food I asked my husband to go and represent my food. Showed him how to plate and decorate it. As my husband living the house I wished him good luck. Waited for him to call me and tell me who won. But no call. He came so quite no excitement on his face. In my head well I didnât win. I got the courage to ask him who won the competition. Pulled his phone and show the winner. I couldnât believed it in my eyes. YES! My CHICKEN SISIG won 1ST PLACE Judges Choice Award 2014 for Cook off Asian Festival Cooking Competition is PHILIPPINES. From that moment I knew Iâm going to be a great good. I was born with this talent I just need to learn and sharpen my knowledge on how to use different spices for cooking.
The same year 2014 I enrolled at THE ARTS INSTITUTE CULINALY SCHOOL IN UTAH. Never in my mind that Iâm going back to school after 19 years. I felt so old to go back school but my husband always reminded me that never too late to go back school. First day of school Iâm so freaking nervous donât know what to expect. First subject INTRODUCTION TO BAKING SCIENCE AND THEORY. What in the world I get into? I got so stressed. I donât know how to bake out from scratch. I donât even know how to use different method of measurement. Yup out of knower I talked to my instructor and told her to be patiently with me. Because never in my life I baked. Every single day I learned different method of baking. I will admit, I do enjoyed. I love challenges so I just need to live my life positive day by day. I finished and survived the first whole semester. 2015 new beginning and new adventure still in school pursuing my dream to become a chef. That year 2015 one of my instructor asked me if I want to join the team in CHEESE COMPETITION. And here am I again always saying YES to competition. Well, I always think the opportunity of a life time. The experience and most of all how I can executed my work. Making cheese is a long process. My chef/instructor and I made a Parmesan and Cheddar cheese. âNo wonder cheese are expensive due to long (aging) process. I waited 6 months in order for me to taste my homemade cheeses. Even though we are 1 team we still compete with each other and the different students from different school. Iâm so nervous, the day of the competition we got to invite our family and friends to taste all different cheese we made. The judges are from restaurant owners and professional chef. At the end of the presentation we all get excited to know the winners. When they announce the 2nd winner of the cheese competition I canât believe it I won that category. Woot woot! Iâm so proud of myself yet at the same time Iâm still have not yet enough confidence. I think if you believe that you want to achieve something you just need to focus and determined that you can be someone you want to be. Year of 2016 is my graduation. All of us who graduated that year was so relieve phase 1 is done. I have to say all the hard work and struggles to finished my school, itâs all worthed. Graduated with honors which Iâm so proud of.
After school I was offered a job but I have to deny the offer due to my knee (ACL) surgery. Not what I expected to start my career after school. After 3 months from my surgery I helped a friend at her shop. And after almost 8 moths from my surgery I have to go to another surgery (Carpal tunnel). Frustrated and angry at the same time. It seems like all my hard work from going to school is just folded. Iâm was in a deep frustration, stressed, no self-stem, and lost my confident to myself and most of all depression. Trying to help myself to get better but my emotion is totally controlling me and affecting my health. When you think youâre done but youâre wrong and realize is not over yet. The best thing that put me in really deep emotion is when I got miscarriage. Weâve waited for 12 years this to happen. But in a blink of an eye we lost it. I told myself this experience give me hope and better one will come in a right time. When I feel so sad, Iâll always remind myself about my passion which is to cook food. To get out of my stress and help through my depression I always go into my kitchen experimenting and making food out of knower. Thank God, always come out good. And that make me feel better and do more good to be better in the kitchen. Cooking is my passion and I will continue to cook and make good food till the day I die.
I have ups and down like other. I just need to remind myself all the time to be patience. Because PATIENCE IS VIRTUE. We interact with people every day for a reason, they either become our friend, inspired us or just a constituent. I met people who inspired me a lot and want to be like them who are very driven in life with their passion.
All the struggle that I encounter in my life is just a test from our creator. I know he has a better plan for me. And I believe that a lot. I met a person who gives me the opportunity and offers me to do a restaurant business together. I was thrilled and nervous this is a big step for me to achieve my goal and own a restaurant. I have so many dreams that I want to achieve but this is the first step for me. Now time to showcase and share my good foods to people.
Iâd like to thank my husband who always there for me from bad times and good times. Your unconditional love keep be alive especially when I needed them the most from my darkest days. Thank you for not giving up on me. Youâre undying support keep strong each day. And to my beautiful daughter whom reminded me how good life is. My parents who helped me to be the person who Am I today. To my siblings, Nieces, Nephews, family and friends thank you all for believing in me. And to our very dear good friend help us with financial thank so much and God bless you and your family. Youâre all my inspiration I am who I am today because of you.
Do what you love to do. At first youâre going into a lot of roller coaster ride and bumpy road before you get where you want to be. Donât give up just continue pursuing your passion, be positive and have a strong faithâŠâŠ and one day youâll be rewarded with your hard work. All you have to do is keep fighting. Remember God is good especially to those who believe in him.
Homemade food is LOVE. Making food is my stress free reliever most of all my passion. Sharing my food, my love and happiness to yaâll. All the foods youâre going to see in my blog was based on my creativity and imagination. I love to make homemade meal for my family and friends. Some are easy to make and there are some that are not. Foods is love and when they asked me what is my secret ingredients to make my food good? My answer is, LOVE and HAPPINESS. Love and happiness are perfect combination make everything taste good. When I think about good foods, itâs all about the taste, creativity and presentation. I love to eat and taste different type of foods around the world. And of course I will share some of the foods I ate while growing up. Who would not love FILIPINO food? As they said COOKING WITH LOVE PROVIDEDS FOOD FOR THE SOUL and better SAVE A PLACE FOR LOVE and HAPPINESS ALWAYS. Making food save my life âŠâŠ.
