why am i here

My name is Bryan Hitchings. I am a 32 year old person passionate about food and aspiring to hone my cooking skills to become a professional chef. I have always loved cooking even as a child. When I was a child and barely able to see the eyes on a stove, I was given a stool by my grandmother and allowed to cook with her. I have had several influences such as my grandmother who was an excellent home cook, one uncle who was a chef, and another uncle who was a cook in the Navy. Though I don’t come from a large family, cooking was something that we always did together. It was fascinating seeing their different styles of cooking. My grandmother had a more traditional southern comfort style of cooking such as preparing homemade souses and head cheese. My uncle, the chef, had a classical Italian approach to food as in preparing dishes such as spinach and sausage stuffed manicotti with marinara sauce. My uncle, who cooked in the Navy, is excellent at grilling and barbecuing. With those three influences, I couldn’t help to develop a love for cooking. From the young age of 12, I was preparing full meals for my family and continue to do so today. I also enjoy the creative side of cooking how a one can take a blend of ingredients and combine them to make many different dishes exhibiting different flavors. I almost feel like a scientist sometimes in the kitchen creating meals for my family and friends. Most times the outcomes are good but I have had mishaps but that’s a part of the learning curve of cooking. When I am cooking, it’s a peaceful place for me. I feel a connection to the food I am preparing and I always like to hear feedback on the food I have prepared. This causes me to change or modify each dish to expand my knowledge and understanding of food. Food allows me to express myself and acts as a creative outlet for my time and energy. It is also a good medium to bring people together because all people regardless of race or creed enjoy good food which varies from