Sunday, October 7, 2012

Whats In a Name...

I've been going back and forth now about how I'm gonna approach this side business thing. I guess, for a start, I'd pick out a name. Question is: how do people choose their names? Did they think they were gonna ride with this name forever? How long did they think this out? Have people had different names before?

Me as a person, am very sentimental and hold onto things like nobody's business. With that, I've often thought of choosing a name from my home country; something in Visayan. But I also wanted for it to be short, sweet, and easy for the mainstream public to say. Not to say, that my home language is crazy or has a million syllables, but it's different, for sure. I've always liked the word "asin." It's pronounced like "ahh-sin." Not asian, not asinine, and not assiin. It means salt, which to me, is an important thing in creating success in the kitchen. I like it because it's short, and relatively easy to say. Of course you'll have that one person whose probably wasn't or isn't the sharpest crayon in the box (if you know what I mean), but that's something you're gonna deal with in the world regardless where you're at.

Another name I thought of was "dami" - pronounced "dahmee." Depending on what context you use it or how you use it, it means a lot or to continue to grow. It seems fitting considering that it is essentially what we're are all wanting to do in our wallets, in our minds, and in our lives. 

I hope I'm not terribly off in the definitions. They are important to me nonetheless. Thoughts anyone?

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Just a thought

So it really has been quite awhile since I've been on this thing. I haven't quite found my "thing." Many bloggers have their own genre they like to talk about and essentially have made it their life's work, but not so much for me.

But then I figure who cares johhny! ~ I really don't know anyone named Johnny! I see this space as mine and I'm not totally enraptured with the facebooks and the myspaces. Which I'm really trying to get away from. Nothing against it really, I'm just for the time being, getting over it.

The Review: Lazy Ox Canteen in downtown L.A. - latimes.com

The Review: Lazy Ox Canteen in downtown L.A. - latimes.com

Let me just say that I am so proud to be a part of this.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Oh Le Cordon Bleu what to do...what to do!!!

I've hit my second week or so of Culinary School freedom! Free from 4 a.m wake up calls, free from that faint smell of grilled protein, and free from doing homework literally and figuratively! (If that makes sense).

But am I really free?! I find myself hunting for more than just a job! I feel like I'm hunting to save my life and perhaps my sanity. I'm hunting to keep the lessons fresh in my mind and all the while telling myself that 50 grand was the best I move I could've made (I think). I also find myself thinking of all the lessons my chefs taught me and trying to remember simple procedures like stock, sauces, and even those darn knife skills! Sometimes I do this while I stare at my knife and my newly acquired battle wound. Ouch!

Job hunting is hard considering, I'm so fresh outta school. I think they can smell the "freshmen" in me. And after all the lessons I still freeze up reluctant to take on anything that might be beneficial to me! Part of me is lying and saying "oh I'm taking a break from school" and the other part of me is like "Ah...that is out of my league-I don't even wanna try it."

But here I am jobless, 50 grand in debt, and in need of hours for my externship! So as I approach my third week it has become reality that Le Cordon Bleu taught me the basics at an alarming rate and just maybe, I could've learned some of that stuff on my own. I did however , notice some of the chefs way of teaching at times was different from the way they wanted to teach. I found that at the end of the school year, the chefs had all known this sick secret that not everything was as happy go lucky as they were in the school kitchens. And really it was all with a pinch of a jaded attitude.

But in all honesty I can't let them affect me. I have to move on and hope to never have to use the LCB crutch ever in my future endeavors. And in a sick sense I hope to come back to be a teacher myself. Make sure those kids don't come out like me!