Why cooking is so interesting to me?

I love my profession as a cook. I like to taste different cuisines from different continents. That's why when I was in school, I used to cook different kinds of food from a cook book, very weekend. My guinea pigs were my family members. They loved to be my guinea pigs, though sometimes I served them under cooked foods. May be this is the reason, that no body encourage me to take cooking as a profession. So, as I loved to taste food, I started liking cooking.

I landed in Canada at 2015 as a permanent resident with my family. One of friend suggested I should start my career over here, wherever I get a chance; later by taking certificates and volunteer jobs I should go for my dream job. So, at first, I was looking for any job. Luckily a Thai restaurant around my neighborhood was looking for kitchen staff. I went there and got a job as a cook. The owner was very generous with me and gave training with all kitchen staff. Now I am working in both and Indian and English food restaurant, and at McDonald's as a part time cook. So, in Canada I became a cook!

In future, I would like to be a restaurant manager. I am not planning to have my own restaurant, because after work, I want to give more time to my family too. To become a better cook, I have taken "Food Safety First" level 1 course. Now I am planning to take a level 2 course. I also plan to take a journeyman cooking certificate. I like my profession and I like to do well in it.

Cooking, my experience

Anybody can cook, but only few can make it great.  In my childhood I use to listen from elders (women) are saying, no matter what you became or how far you study, you have to spend your life in kitchen. Seems life has to be end in fire for others. Well the tone said it isn’t a life to live. Their words made me think, OK, I won’t show any interest in cooking, I won’t learn cooking, I don’t care what others think about my womanhood, I won’t cook.

Later I realize, when I cook (not regularly) for me and my surroundings I feel good. Then I can taste the food as I wanted and make others happy too.

Now things changes totally. I cook to live and for my family, sometimes in party for others. And I do it happily or sometimes to feed my son good food. It’s true that I will be happy if anyone else does this job for me. But when I cook, I can cook it as I wanted; try to keep nutrition with less preservative.

When I start cooking regularly, I found making delicious food isn’t any easy job. No matter how hard I try, if I don’t know the exact tips and steps, I can’t cook the tasty one. Another thing is concentration. To make good food, you have to try and keep trying. You have to do experimental things too.

For example I tried to cook chicken with lentil. Well that didn’t go well in regular way. But I am sure there is some tips to make these two main ingredients together and make it delicious. Someday I will know… how…

শেষ পর্যন্ত খাবারটা খাওয়ার উপযোগী করতে পারলাম (Finally could make the food better)

Shafeen

আমি সব সময়ই নতুন কিছু রান্না করার চেষ্টা করি, রেসিপি দেখে (নিজের উপর আস্থা নেই)।

রেসিপি পড়ে মোটামুটি আন্দাজ করতে পারি, এটা খেতে কেমন হবে। তারপরও সবই চেষ্টা করি বানাতে, কারন দেখা গেছে, বানানোর পর খেতে ভালই হয়।

তবে এবার সেটা হয়নি। রেসিপি দেখলাম, স্পাইসি সালাদ। মনে হলো ভালো হবে না। তারপরও বাধাকপি দিয়ে বানালাম। খেতে এমন অখাদ্য হয়েছে যে, আমিও খেতে পারবো না (সাধারনত: আমি যাই বানাইনা কেন, খারাপ হলেও আমাকেই খেয়ে শেষ করতে হয়)। 

তাই এটাকে ঠিক করার চেষ্টায় নামলাম। আলু আর টমেটো কুচি করে দিলাম, টমেটো সস, টক দই, চিনি, একটু হলুদ, একটু গরম মসলা, একটা ডিম ইত্যাদি দিয়ে ভেজে নিলাম। এবার অল্প পানি দিয়ে হালকা আঁচে সিদ্ধ করলাম। পরে ভাত, ডাল আর জলপাইয়ের আচারের সাথে খেয়ে দেখলাম, মন্দ হয়নি। এমনকি আমার ছেলেও (আমার খাবারের টেস্টার) ভাতের সাথে খেয়ে নিল। হমম, মনে হচ্ছে সামান্য হলেও এতোদিনে রান্না শিখেছি :)

I always try to make new food by using a recipe. When I see a recipe, most of the times I understood, how it may taste. But still I like to try, because after finishing the product, most of the times it tastes good.

This time when I read the spicy salad recipe, I understood it won’t be taste good. But still I tried with cabbage to check and found I was right. Even I can’t eat it (generally no matter how it taste, I had to eat and finish all of my cooking  J ). Now the real job came, I have to convert it a better food. I gave potato and tomato with a Julian cut, tomato sauce, an egg, little turmeric, little garam masala, sugar, bitter curd etc then fry it. Give some water and steam it in low heat…. Then it taste better. When I took it with steam rice, daal and olive pickles, it tastes awesome. Hmm may be I learned cooking a bit finally. Even I my son (my QA) liked it with rice.