MY COOKING ABILITIES

I LEARNED TO COOK AS A SMALL GIRL FROM MY MOM. I ALSO EXPERIMENTED WITH DIFFERENT INGREDIENTS. AS A YOUNG GIRL I MADE SUPPER FOR MY FAMILY AS MY MOM WAS WORKING FULL TIME. I LEARNED TO COOK ITALIAN, GERMAN, AND AMERICAN MEALS IN OHIO. LATER WHEN I MOVED TO ARIZONA FOR SCHOOL I BECAME A HEALTH FOOD NUT AND LEARNED TO COOK MEXICAN MEALS AS WELL AS PUEBLOAN DISHES. I BOUGHT VARIOUS COOKBOOKS. I STILL ENJOY COKING AS BOTH AN ART AS A WAY TO HEAL OURSELVES AND FAMILIES AND KEEP THEM CLOSER TOGETHER.

I SPENT TIME IN ARIZONA LEARNING WHAT THE HISPANIC TRIBES USED FOR MAKING THEIR TORTILLAS. MY HUSBAND AND I MADE A TORTILLA PRESS AND WE JOINED A HEALTH FOOD COOP TO GET DISCOUNTED FOOD. WE LEARNED HOW TO COOK BURRITOS, MAKE OUR OWN CRACKERS, CHILI RELLENOS, AS WELL AS GREEK FOOD. ONCE WHEN I WAS OLDER I COOKED CHINESE MEALS. AFTER WE VISITED HAWAII I NOTED HOW DIFFERENT THEIR CHINESE MEALS WERE. WE LEARNED ABOUT TARO ROOT WHICH I DID NOT LIKE.

ALL THE WOMEN IN MY FAMILY AND OUR ANCESTORS WERE GREAT COOKS AND THEY MADE BIRTHDAY CAKES AND DECORATED THEM FOR THEIR KIDS. THEY LEARNED HOW TO COOK FROM THEIR MOMS AND GRANDMOTHERS. AND THEY SHARED RECIPES WITH EACH OTHER. WE LEARNED DIFFERENT TYPES OF ETHNIC COOKING TOGETHER. I GOT RECIPES THAT MY MOM USED TO MAKE AS WELL AS MY MOTHER IN LAW. I STILL ENJOY COOKING AND WILL HAVE A NATIVE AMERICAN RESTAURANT SOMEDAY.