A friend once asked: “What if your mother, parents or someone you live with, are excellent chefs or bakers?” I think I answered this. “Then I won’t have any reason to go out of the house ever again.”
True. Although thinking about it sensibly, I would’ve been good with cooking too, and most probably I’ve capitalized their love and talent for cooking to create a massive food empire business. Unfortunately some are not born to a “Culinary expert” household. My mom and my dad, I’m sure can cook passable food, but I still have to see them do it. But they do critique food (Especially seafoods and vegetables) just as much as I do. However, I haven’t seen my mom bake and I’ve only seen her cook something for JD’s “baon,” which consisted of random frying and boiling. The people who harbor the basic passion and need for cooking are our reliable maid Ate Ne and my Auntie Susan. The way I see it, there’s still no point of capitalizing anything.
Mitch, however, has a much enviable case. HE was reared by an amazing mother who can excellently produce good food. The first time I ate at their place, I honestly thought that the Fried Chicken I’ve tasted came from Max’s. Every simple viand is magnificently cooked. Her pasta recipes are way better than some Italian Restaurants out there. She is knowledgeable and daring using sophisticated ingredients. She knows what she’s doing and most especially she is a natural nutritionist. But her forte and commercial pursuits are coming from baking. She bakes absolutely good desserts that range from cookies, random pastries and the infamous Apple Cheese Bars and Pies. Hers is a perfect example of commercializing it, as she is a prime supplier of desserts in Java Man Power Books, desserts that after all these times I’ve been eating. What luck for me! I get to meet and relate with the maker in the flesh. The best part, sometimes I do get freebies!
Cooking is something personal. It involves a lot of art and science at the same time. A recipe could be manipulated if the baker/chef is capable or artistic enough. Most especially since it’s maneuvering in the realm of the Food industry, the chances of making a unique, good tasting and quality food a commercial success are positive. There are lots of bakers and cooks out there who have reached fame and commercialized highly on their products without losing the reasons why they became famous in the first place. Mary Grace’s Brownies is one. Multiply dessert makers are slowly following suit. Even Mitch’s mom has her own list of clientele.
While others become a favorite treat or a household name, others go as far as making cook books, being a point of reference in culinary standards, taking for example Marcella Hazan’s reputation. She is known to be a simple housewife and an Italian teacher who has a talent and passion for good Italian cooking. She developed recipes and she experimented producing Italy’s most revered dishes to America. She has garnered a large following from the public and top Food editors in both Italy and America. She, together with her husband, is successful in any food pursuits whether it may be in teaching or sharing authentic Italian Recipes. Now she is so famous, respected and popular she created a memoir, which is featured by NY Times.
Marcella has an only son named Giuliano who lives in Sarasota and also teaches cooking in US and Italy. See where the envy comes from?
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