My name is Andrew and I'm a lover of food. (Aren't we all?!) Here's a photo of a baby-sized version of me eating some nutritious cheese puffs.
I was born on Scott Air Force Base near St. Louis, Missouri, smack in the middle of the 1980's. My father had been a helicopter pilot in the Army, and my mother worked as a paralegal for the state justice department in downtown St. Louis.
I had not been out of diapers long when my parents divorced, leaving my dad with sole custody of me. He remarried soon after, and so I grew up with my father and a stepmother, in several states around the U.S. My childhood was less-than-optimal, but despite my difficulties at home, school and books were my solace. Teachers became my role models, a safe outlet for emotions, and my greatest motivators. I have often drawn from the strength base my teachers gave me as a kid to embolden my confidence as an adult.
A Dr. Kathrine Graham - lovingly referred to as "Kack" in my adulthood - took extra time to foster a sense of worth in a younger me, becoming in many ways the mother I never had. One of my fondest memories occurred in the kitchen with her, many years after I had left her classroom. I was staying at her home in New Mexico for a couple nights, and she was making dinner. It was this night that became the first significant moment of my life in a kitchen, helping her make that meal. Two years later, at 58, Kack lost her battle with lung cancer and left the world too soon.
I was born on Scott Air Force Base near St. Louis, Missouri, smack in the middle of the 1980's. My father had been a helicopter pilot in the Army, and my mother worked as a paralegal for the state justice department in downtown St. Louis.
I had not been out of diapers long when my parents divorced, leaving my dad with sole custody of me. He remarried soon after, and so I grew up with my father and a stepmother, in several states around the U.S. My childhood was less-than-optimal, but despite my difficulties at home, school and books were my solace. Teachers became my role models, a safe outlet for emotions, and my greatest motivators. I have often drawn from the strength base my teachers gave me as a kid to embolden my confidence as an adult.
A Dr. Kathrine Graham - lovingly referred to as "Kack" in my adulthood - took extra time to foster a sense of worth in a younger me, becoming in many ways the mother I never had. One of my fondest memories occurred in the kitchen with her, many years after I had left her classroom. I was staying at her home in New Mexico for a couple nights, and she was making dinner. It was this night that became the first significant moment of my life in a kitchen, helping her make that meal. Two years later, at 58, Kack lost her battle with lung cancer and left the world too soon.
I use this story to illustrate something I've learned about cooking so far. It can bring people together in a meaningful way, and leave lasting memories, long after the food is gone. It is this connection to others - through the enjoyment of preparing and eating - that sparked an interest in me for cooking as a profession. I graduated university with a degree in Psychology, hoping to continue on to a Ph.D, but never quite felt connected to my major; I never felt like my career choice gave me purpose. Once I decided to make the change and go to culinary school however, the vision I had for my future became clearer.
In my free time, besides practicing making bread at home, I enjoy long-boarding, reading, playing the drums, shooting target archery, snorkeling, lap swimming, and spending time with my beautiful wife. |
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