Clueless Baker: The Real Deal

It's amazing how age can change you. When I was growing up with a mom who worked as a cook in a small restaurant in our small hometown, and a sister whom I swear learnt how to cook since she was in our mom's womb and the youngest brother who loved to eat, thus loved to cook (he still does), I couldn't care less about kitchen business. Everyone in my family knows that I am hopeless in the kitchen. To them, I'm the brain in the family. Or so they think. My other 2 siblings (yes, I have big family...2 sisters and 2 brothers) can cook pretty well too. In fact, my older brother worked at a restaurant while waiting for his exam's result. Me? I'm the kitchen joker.

It all changed when I went to Japan for a language and culture exchange program during my 2nd year of university. I was forced to find my way to the kitchen. But I was lucky because I was surrounded by friends who were good at cooking and willing to feed me, especially during weekend when I had to fend for myself. During these time, I learnt that while cooking held little appeal to me (what's with accidentally cutting and burning my hands in the process), I was beginning to like baking things using the small toaster oven in the dorm I was staying in. I would baked cookies and cakes for friends just for fun and delighted that they enjoyed eating it, even when it wasn't that good. And for once, the idea of spending time in the kitchen besides searching for foods didn't annoy me. Mom must be proud of me.

During the time in Japan, I baked cookies for Valentine's Day and forced my friends to eat them. I also baked a birthday cake for one of my classmates and another for a very dear friend of mine who's more like a mother to me. I think I baked a cake for his son and wife too. Those were wonderful times of my life, surrounded by dear friends from all around the world. When I came back to my country however, I completed my first degree and back to my normal-before-Japan life. No more baking, except when I helped mom to bake chocolate cakes for the family, especially my niece and nephews. Did I mention yet that I have big family? I did? Good.

Then work happened. 5 years passed and I hardly jeopardized my safety in the kitchen. I still made chocolate steamed cake once in a while when I craved for sweet things. But that was it. That was the only thing I could make anyway since I didn't have an oven up until 20 days ago. Yep, I finally bought an oven! On 20th February this year at 5.42pm, I got myself an oven. I knew the exact time because I have the receipt in my hand now. The oven is nothing fancy at all. It was on discount so I bought it on impulse. Scraped my knuckles when I took it out of the car and later had to struggle to bring it back home. This is the time when I thought about having a boyfriend just so he could help me carry heavy stuffs.

Anyway, I managed to bring it home safely and ever since then, I've been warming up to the baking world again. It isn't easy. I've been baking about 5 times so far and each time I managed to either ruin the recipe or burn the end-products. Or both. But it's been so long since I have this much fun! And so this blog will be the witness of my (mis)adventures in the kitchen. I hope along the way I'll be less clueless and be better at baking and of course avoid any accident in the kitchen. Wish me luck!