A further introduction...

Posted by Andrew

It looks like my sister has "cooked the pasta al dente"! OK, so it's a corny variation to "hitting the nail on the head", but with the subject matter this blog covers I couldn't help it. However, I would like to take the opportunity to put in my perspective into this joint enterprise.

Who am I? I'm Andrew, a 24-year-old small-city planner in Manitoba. I've always had in interest in exploring, and that includes actual travel, and culinary exploration. Be it through eating out or cooking up a storm at home, I love to indulge my palate whenever I can. The way I see it, food will always be about you one way or another, and we also always need to eat, so why not appreciate it to its fullest?

Until I moved out of my parents' home during my university years I never really had a knack for cooking, though I did already enjoy savouring foods from many parts of the world. By the end of my frosh year, the 9-10 months of caf food and the realization that I'll have to cook my own food beginning the following year snapped me back to reality, and like my sister, I too have my mother to thank. She can cook very well, and she doesn't hesitate to try cooking new things, be it her home turf of Chinese cuisine or something more foreign or exotic. I in turn have been inspired to try widening my cooking horizons (when time permits... my studies, and now my work schedule, can get in the way once in a while) and also to try different foods and cuisines.

With my sister's and my love for food in general, it seemed natural for us to get together (far apart as we may physically be) and start up this blog. Food should be enjoyed by all whenever possible, so why keep this subject secret or silent? I also hope that I can help open the eyes of some of you out there to some of the good and/or unique foods that may be out there waiting for you to try. Though I'll admit I'm perhaps a bit more partial to the "fine dining" side of things (my love for such food shows as the original Iron Chef and my occasional craving for things like foie gras or abalone is proof of that!), good food does come from many places, and I'm certainly open to try some where they can be found, be it "fine dining", "home cooking", or any other way you can label it.

One more thing... Bonita summed it up nicely about "Forks & Chopsticks", but I think I can throw another angle to it. She and I are undeniably of Chinese origin, but we were born and raised in a Western country with a predominantly Canadian/North American culture, and I think it's safe to say that our philosophy on food is partly molded by our family, but also partly molded by the society to which we've been exposed. Let's face it, Canada has a good mix of cultures from around the world, and it has its own distinct history and culture, so exposure to other foods is practically unavoidable. At the same time, we like to reach back to our cultural roots, which is why we still haven't abandoned Chinese cuisine.

"Forks & Chopsticks", ladies and gentlemen... bon apetit!