I was always scared to take cookies out of the oven for the fear of being burned.
I thought the toaster would flare up in flames if I attempted to make toast.
And, don't even get me started when I tried to make something simple like a scrambled egg, or even boiling some water for pasta.
I was a mess when it came to cooking.
Food and I did not have a good relationship at all.
Anorexia and bulimia took control of my brain and body when I was just graduating high school, at the age of 17.
It still lingers around to this day and I will never have the same relationship with food before I was anorexic, but I have it managed now.
Despite my history of food, I completely blossomed out of my shell of fear and went on to make it my life!
After some time and still battling my disease, I was given an opportunity for a food demonstrator at the Trader Joe's I was working at.
The job forced me to be around food.
It forced me to cook whether I liked it or not, and it also forced me to eat.
It was a blessing in disguise.
The once shy and skinny girl was now evolving into this person that I never thought I would see in myself.
I became so enthralled with cooking and eating that I went on to make it my passion!
it all started with wine and food pairings.
I was so infatuated with how food and wine transformed the entire meal into an experience.
I loved how certain foods that would pair with certain wines.
My aha moment that I had when I knew I had to learn more, was a Tawny port paired with blue Stilton.
I had never experienced anything like it!
The saltiness of the aged cheese with the sweetness and acidity of the port was just so magical, I couldn't get enough of it.
It was then, that I knew I wanted to make this my profession.
The next month I signed up at a culinary school to join the Sommelier program.
After 12 strenuous weeks of learning everything there was to know about wine, I went on to achieve my main goal.
And, that was to become a certified sommelier.
The test consisted of three parts which was a theory part, a blind tasting part, and the dreaded service part of the exam.
All of which that had to be passed in order to receive your certificate.
I passed with flying colors.
When they called my name with a glass of champagne waiting for me, I was so happy I started crying tears of joy.
To think that I was certified to blind taste wines correctly, to know wines from all over the world (including wines from Mexico to Greece), and to be specialized of pairing wines with food?
It was insane to wrap my head around!
That anorexic girl that I once was could not even believe what I had turned in to.
It didn't stop there either.
I signed up for the Culinary program and did 11 months of extensive training in classic french cooking.
Look out, Julia Child and Jacques Pepin.
Here comes, Emily!
I was soaring through this culinary route with ease and nothing was stopping me!
After my training, I went on to fulfill my dream of going into wine sales and became a wine sales representative for a small brokerage that emphasized in boutique, small production wines.
Sadly, I got the rude awakening of the reality that there are a lot of representatives out in the world and despite my networks, and made the decision to find a new trail in this industry for me.
Which leads me to here at San Jose State.
It has always been a life long goal to get my bachelors.
To have a bachelors will give me something to fall back on if my culinary en devours don't succeed, and that is very important to me.
Ironically, with my sommelier certificate and culinary diploma, the thought of being a sommelier on a sales floor, or being a line cook at a high end restaurant, makes me want to rip out my hair.
I'm an morning person and am usually in bed by 8pm.
Those jobs require long hours that go well into the night, and they receive very little pay with no benefits.
That's the reality of it.
I'm determined to find my niche in this industry with hopes of working on a winery's marketing team, or a restaurant group's advertising team.
I will get there some day, but right now my focus is school and I am so proud to be here!
No comments:
Post a Comment