Tuesday, December 7, 2010

About Me

Hello, my name is Fer and I'm an addict.


A food addict, that is!

I love food! I love eating it and I love making it! I don't have any professional culinary training but my passion led me to my different food adventures. I have enjoyed food since I was young and I started seriously mixing it up in the kitchen about a couple of years ago. All this started when I migrated to San Francisco, right after college, in 2005. I left my life in the Philippines to explore and make something of myself. From the start, I noticed the huge difference: here, you have to do everything! From cleaning, laundry to cooking. Man, I realized quickly I had it easy in Manila: I woke up with food on the table and there was no need to ask for a snack since snacks were almost mandatory for merienda (mid-day snack). Besides, the Philippines is a mecca of street food. You'll never go hungry for long even if you don't like the prepared merienda. Just go out the door and you're good.

Here in San Francisco, dining out can get pricey, and street food expenses can add up. When you're surrounded by great food, it's hard to stay on a budget!  Reality set in and I realized that it's more  practical to eat in, so I learned how to cook. All I had were cookbooks, food blogs, YouTube, Food Network and the great people I've met along the way. I would read cookbooks to learn the basics. I would go to bookstores and read the tips and tricks of culinary masters. I go to cooking demos at Macy's, WIlliams Sonoma, and the Farmer's Market. With all these resources, I realized I can stir it up in the kitchen even without going to culinary school.


Even when you're passionate about something, you can't do everything or learn by yourself.  To improve my culinary knowledge and open my mind (and taste buds!), I volunteer at different food organizations, such as CUESA, Parties That Cook!, and different chefs.  I've worked  for events such as Outside Lands and Street Food festivals. I am blessed to have become part of these events and organizations because it opens more opportunity for me to meet the movers and shakers in the industry.


San Francisco really inspires me. People here care about and are serious about their food. It's a foodie town.  San Franciscans are known for wanting to know where their food comes from, what's in it, and how it was grown or raised. When you think  about it, it makes sense. If you care about what you put on your body, you should care more about what you put in it.  

In this blog, I will take you to my journey of foodventures. From dining out to eating in and everything in between. I will take you to different food events and let you in on my dining experiences in the Bay Area. This small city is a melting pot of different authentic cuisines so there's a lot to try out! I will also share some recipes that I did. Most of these came from different cookbooks, websites, and some family recipes to which I added some personal touches and twists.

Feel free to comment and give suggestions and tips. After all, we learn from each other and that's what this is all about.

So sit tight, stay hungry, and bring your appetite! 


With Iron Chef Cat Cora

With Chef Dominique Crenn of Luce