HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Growing up was always about family for me. Mother and father were split. I would always be with my father on the weekends. He’d pick me up from school and take me to work with him, at that time he was the executive chef at YMCA camp. But I remember at the age of 6 I was helping him cook bacon and eggs and helping him set buffet lines for service.
All through school I’d work in the kitchen with him on most weekends, summer time, Winter, and spring breaks. I grew up very family oriented, with my grandma raising most of us. Grandma’s house would always be the place to hang out, and she would always have 3 meals for us, we didn’t have much so it’s whatever she whipped up we ate. Could be anything from tuna or egg salad sandwiches to tofu and watercress with egg plant. But no matter what it was, I was always there to learn.
My father would always cook for us also like fried rice or fried chicken. But I always had a place to be close to my father no matter what. I’d always be in the kitchen with him either at home or work. That’s where my love for cooking came from and hard work and dedication. My father paved the way for me to be where I’m at today. I’ve been in the kitchen since I was 6 and now I’m 35, this is all I know this is my love and passion, I put everything I have in to my food everyday…