My adventures with food began a young age for me. One of the many stories my dad has told me about me and food growing up happened at a McDonald’s when I was about two years old. I was happily eating my hotcakes, as we so loving called them when I was growing up. Except, I wanted to take my hotcakes to a new level and make them into not just hotcakes, but spicy hotcakes. Yes, you guessed it, I put salsa on my hotcakes. I not only took the one bite, but I licked the plate clean and ate it all. And so began my adventure with wanting to try odd and interesting food combinations.
Another story of me eating something interesting is not as funny as the story before, but still a little bit funny. My mom set her medicine on her plate at breakfast, and walked away from the table. Low and behold, when she comes back to the table her medicine is gone. Again, you guessed it, I am the culprit. I had consumed my mother’s medicine under the impression that it was candy instead of a prescription. For the second time in my childhood, I had stubbornly eaten something out of the ordinary in an attempt to enjoy food, even though this time it was not exactly food.
From there, my life and food have been nothing short of fun. When my dad deemed me old enough, I began to help around in the kitchen with making meals. One of my favorite tasks was shredding cheese for salads and every other time my dad needed shredded cheese. I would also assist my sister in making macaroni and cheese on Wednesday nights. But my all-time favorite dish to eat growing up was good ‘ole spaghetti. Without fail, every time I ate my treasured dish, it would somehow end up all over my face. The funny saying around my house is, “Do you have a hole in your lip, Erin?” This statement is more ironic than it lets on from the surface, as I busted through my lip at the ripe young age of two on a Christmas Eve.
At some point in time, I moved on from the cherished spaghetti to chips and salsa. This new favorite came about when I would play restaurant with my sister. When we played restaurant, we would eat chips and salsa pretending it was a French pastry and drink water pretending it was a delicious tea to complement the French pastry. This child’s play eventually turned into a passion for me that landed me where I am today, seeking a degree in restaurant management. But before I get to the present, one more element of my life has to be added to the story: my grandma and aunt’s restaurant.
When I would spend a week over the summer at Grandma’s house, we would end up spending the countless hours in the restaurant. Being as young as I was, I was limited to what I could and could not do in the restaurant. I did not let my age hold me back though. I insisted to help in some way, so my grandma and my aunt made me roll silverware in napkins and wipe down tables once they were cleared. The moments I spent in the family restaurant really pushed me to pursue the culinary world.
As the years went on, I helped my dad in every way that I could in the kitchen. I mastered the simple tasks and was eventually put in charge of making entire meals at my house as my skills allowed. Throughout high school I worked in restaurants and continue to do so as my field of study is in restaurant management. As my knowledge is increasing, so is my undying passion for food. Each day, I strive to create and taste all food that comes across my path. To say my life has been a culinary masterpiece would be an understatement as it has been an adventure of a lifetime.