I started cooking when I was 13. Let's see... flash back about 16 years to when I had just entered my teens. As you might guess, I'm very fond of food. At that time, I loved Chinese food (the stuff I now call Indo-Chinese glop.) Unfortunately, my parents didn't share my enthusiasm. One day while thumbing through a UK superstore catalogue (that my father brought back from his frequent trips there), I noticed a curious item in the "kitchen appliances" section. There it was, described as "Ken Hom 14" Carbon Steel Chinese Wok. Comes with spatula, chopsticks, and cookery book." Somehow, the idea hit me that if I perhaps got this thing (I didn't even know what "wok" meant), I might be able to satisfy my craving for Chinese cooking by making it myself, or at least get my maid to make some for me. My poor, wonderful father actually dragged it back for me on his next visit. It wasn't easy; a thick gauge wok weighs a fair bit. Over the next few weeks, I studied Mr. Hom's book in detail. It taught me a fair bit about the philosophy of the cuisine. I realised just how different it was from the goo they dished out at the local "Chinese" restaurants. The only problem was the sheer number of exotic ingredients I'd never heard of. These days, stuff like oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, etc. are available in ever supermarket but in 1988, almost nothing was here. Fortunately, my father's UK business associates were kind enough to keep bringing me bottles of these gems so I could continue my culinary adventures. Over months and years, I studied cooking like an art, trying to understand not just the "what" but the "why" of making food. It is a quest I continue even today. I gradually figured out, "Hey, I've got a talent for this." It soon became just as much of a passion as the other love of my life - computers. I'm not going to bore you with a longer version.
