# "Aha Moment" That Got You Into Cooking



## larrybard (Oct 8, 2014)

Happened to stumble upon a short piece about what inspired various chefs to enter the cooking profession. http://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/chef-inspirations-ming-tsai-jon-shook-and-others In view of all the chefs on KKF, wondering what similarly inspired many of you to cook.


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## Chuckles (Oct 8, 2014)

I was in grad school and had was expediting at a Wolfgang Puck restaurant. It was my job to watch the cooks. It didn't take long to figure out I was on the wrong side of the pass.... And now I spend most of my time expediting again....


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## Salty dog (Oct 8, 2014)

Failed miserably in college and needed a job. And those were the good old days of cocktail waitresses. (pre AIDS and cocktail waitresses, I'm telling ya, you youngsters missed a lot.)


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## mano (Oct 8, 2014)

I had to learn to cook as a teenager when my parents worked. When I was in college and had no money I'd cook at my place for dates. At worst we'd have a good dinner, at best I'd also make breakfast.


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## boomchakabowwow (Oct 8, 2014)

Girls.

i was at a party with older kids..one guy stood out amongst the group. he was whipping up food for some of the hot girls..italian guy.

i did it for..Girls. i seriously think i landed my wife by showing her my many facets..


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## CutFingers (Oct 8, 2014)

When I was about 10 years old my mom bought a Martin Yan wok and carbon clever set from Macey's...She made stir fry and it was good. I took what she did and made it better  I still have the wok and clever.


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## Mrmnms (Oct 8, 2014)

Saw my father drop a chunk of butter into a hot pan. Heard and smelt the butter and watched him turn nasty gooey raw eggs into a magnificent plain omelette. I was late to kindergarten making my own.


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## Geo87 (Oct 8, 2014)

I never intended to be a cook/chef for long, It started out as a good job to have while traveling. There is always work for chefs. Then the industry dug it's claws in and I couldn't imagine doing anything else.


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## jared08 (Oct 8, 2014)

I had already been a dishwasher for 3-4 Yeats. Went to college and did "work study".which was okay bc I got to watch sexy women play sports. Tramsfered to a local school and had to commute, need gas money so I stopped in at a restaurant trying to be a first time cook but got a dishwashing job starting the next day(Saturday). Worked 9-4 then got asked if I ever thought about cooking. 
Responded I would love to cook! 
The sous chef said "flip your apron over and hop on broil tonite, our cook called off". 
And it was been a snow ball effect ever since. 
I've been through 5 different jobs now and a month+ ago I landed my first executive chef job!


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## panda (Oct 9, 2014)

I like to eat, figure learn to make it myself so I can eat a lot more.


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## CoqaVin (Oct 9, 2014)

Bc I can make something out of nothing, and love making people happy through their stomachs, seeing a smile on someone's face after eating something I made PRICELESS


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## Zwiefel (Oct 9, 2014)

I'm not sure I had an "aha! moment." I'm told I was interested in cooking before the age of 5. I had a toy version of the cast iron wood burning stoves and would play with it constantly....which reminds me...my auntie said she still has it somewhere, I need to get it and put it in the house somewhere for decor...

I continue to cook b/c like so many others that responded to this thread, I get an immense amount of joy and satisfaction from seeing people respond to what I'm doing.


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## jared08 (Oct 9, 2014)

Honestly, I just like cutting food with an awesome knife.. the rest is just a bonus! Ha


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## wayfarerkitchen804 (Oct 27, 2014)

It was a way for me to find quick work while traveling and playing music. Down the road, I abandoned the desire to tour consistently and stuck with cooking. It snowballed from there with zero regrets.


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## Mucho Bocho (Oct 27, 2014)

When I got my first Easy Bake oven. 

I'm Portuguese from MASS and grew up on the water. My mom said I used to put fish in it cause I didn't like sweets. Still don't.


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## Zwiefel (Oct 27, 2014)

Mucho Bocho said:


> When I got my first Easy Bake oven.
> 
> I'm Portuguese from MASS and grew up on the water. My mom said I used to put fish in it cause I didn't like sweets. Still don't.



Love. This.


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## knyfeknerd (Oct 27, 2014)

I was a teenager and I needed the money.
"Aha! a really crappy paycheck!" is what I said after the first pay cycle. I'm still sayin' it 20 something years later.
At least I have my handsome charming good looks and full head of flowing hair to fall back on if the cooking thing doesn't pan out.


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## brianh (Oct 27, 2014)

I'm just a home cook so I hope I can respond. Was a terribly picky eater as a kid, everything at home tasted bland. I thought the only way to get good food was at a restaurant. When I realized I could make it myself at home, and often better, I was hooked.

Edit: I remember once being a little kid and was at a buffet. They eggs must have been undercooked in the kitchen because I remember them being the most amazing things I've ever eaten. Fluffy, buttery. You never get that here at a slop joint in NJ. They're always brown and burned.


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## Mrmnms (Oct 27, 2014)

Mucho Bocho said:


> When I got my first Easy Bake oven.
> 
> I'm Portuguese from MASS and grew up on the water. My mom said I used to put fish in it cause I didn't like sweets. Still don't.



Why doesn't this surprise me! Ok, shoot me a recipe for the easy bake, I'll get one going with the girls. No more cake in theirs til we do yours.


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## daveb (Oct 27, 2014)

Another home cook. Back in my college days I started cooking to get laid. (Am I the only one to admit it?) Several years later I still like it.


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## rahimlee54 (Oct 27, 2014)

I got tired of spending what I considered decent amounts of money on average food. For the same money I can eat almost high end food at my home. It is hard to go out now without being to critical.


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## Keith Sinclair (Oct 28, 2014)

Mucho Bocho said:


> When I got my first Easy Bake oven.
> 
> I'm Portuguese from MASS and grew up on the water. My mom said I used to put fish in it cause I didn't like sweets. Still don't.



Mystic Pizzaizza:, worked fishing boats as a teenager in the summer. Started out as a bus boy, not my cup of tea, head Chef at Italian Comito's La Pasta took me off the floor and trained me front line. Liked working nights so could surf in the day. Went to Hotel jobs and learned Ice Carving, side buss. carving Ice for Hotels was so busy hardly had time to surf.

Lot's of Portuguese in Hawaii. The Gomes family delivered Ice for me. My cousin Mary married a Portuguese guy had 4 kids.


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## rami_m (Oct 28, 2014)

Love good food. Wife is giving birth in December so I figured either learn to cook. Or starve.


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## eshua (Oct 28, 2014)

daveb said:


> Another home cook. Back in my college days I started cooking to get laid. (Am I the only one to admit it?) Several years later I still like it.



Not ashamed to admit I still like getting laid.


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## Keith Sinclair (Oct 28, 2014)

Cooks as a rule are horny dudes.


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## Matus (Oct 28, 2014)

I moved out of my parent's place and got hungry eventually 

But seriously - it is a family thing. My father used to cook certain dishes and so of me it was intuitive to cook as well. But after 10 years of being home cook I feel the growing urge to improve on my cooking skills. I already talked to the box of our local favourite (italian) restaurant whether they would consider cooking courses. They are considering it


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## Korin_Mari (Oct 28, 2014)

Home cook/baker. 

I went to college far away where I didn't know anyone. I love baking so I was making banana bread in the dorm kitchen... Then all of a sudden I made 5 new friends. I realized befriending people's stomachs was a good way to get to people's hearts. I was also addicted to the feeling of bringing happiness to people with something I made.

And since we're on this topic anyways... I once offered cookies to a guy I thought was cute. He turned them down because he doesn't like sweets, then asked me out. I turned him down, because I could never date someone who refuses freshly baked cookies.


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## Zwiefel (Oct 28, 2014)

Korin_Mari said:


> Home cook/baker.
> 
> I went to college far away where I didn't know anyone. I love baking so I was making banana bread in the dorm kitchen... Then all of a sudden I made 5 new friends. I realized befriending people's stomachs was a good way to get to people's hearts. I was also addicted to the feeling of bringing happiness to people with something I made.
> 
> And since we're on this topic anyways... I once offered cookies to a guy I thought was cute. He turned them down because he doesn't like sweets, then asked me out. I turned him down, because I could never date someone who refuses freshly baked cookies.



Excellent judgement Mari!


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## swarfrat (Oct 28, 2014)

Gotta respect a woman who has her priorities straight. :thumbsup:


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## daveb (Oct 28, 2014)

Probably the worst decision the young lad ever made...


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## Adirondack (Oct 28, 2014)

I grew up in a house where almost every meal was (overcooked) protein, starch and vegetable/salad. In college I cooked the same five meals every week. In 1980 when I became a vegetarian (with fish/seafood benefits) I had to learn how to cook things I'd never made or eaten before and to be creative to make things I and others would want to eat. It's when I got into the cuisine of other cultures. I took risks in the kitchen and more often then not my food came out good. (Just don't ask my wife about the chocolate mousse I made for our first dinner date.) It was around the same time I started making my own beer. Coincidence?


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