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My Path to the Kitchen

Written By: Alexandra Perez-Urbina on Wednesday, June 11, 2008

The history of a cook in the making.

My road to the culinary world was somewhat indirect -- career wise, anyway. I started out my life wanting to be a musician. I played the violin from the age of ten, and I loved my instrument. Practicing six to eight hours a day was not a big deal to me -- "practice makes perfect" was engraved into my little brain, and I wanted to make it happen. However, all of the practicing accompanied by poor circulation in my hands led to tendonitis, and ultimately, I had to put down my beloved instrument.

With depression kicking in, I discovered solace in singing. I took up opera when I was eighteen years old, and found that opera quenched my thirst for music in a different way. Learning voice is rather tricky, as it isn't tangible -- there are no buttons, keys, or frets and you cannot see what you are doing. My practice methods changed completely, as my focus became my body. Practice became silent studying, a daily yoga routine, and about ninety minutes to two hours of singing. I studied voice in New York City and in Caracas, Venezuela. But my trip to Caracas was ultimately one of the things that drastically changed my life and career direction.

Food in Caracas is... different. Food in Venezuela is different; it is less processed, fresh, and the flavors are richer. Fresh fruits and vegetables were everywhere! While I was there, certain flavors pinched my culinary nerves in such a way that I had to learn the techniques to cooking.

In Caracas, I lived in La Carlotta, which is a residential, semi-European neighborhood. My little apartment was right next to el Colegio Francia (a French school). Down the street, I'd often hear little, old Italian men and women greeting each other in their native tongue from one street corner to another, and a few blocks away there were two Portuguese bakeries and a French bakery. Rocarena, one of the Portuguese bakeries, was probably the best known -- their bread was fantastic; soft, moist, and flaky, and completely worth the lines!

Venezuela also introduced me to Peruvian sushi, which is a Peruvian, Spanish, and Japanese type fusion. The sushi of Nobu in Caracas, was probably some of the most interesting food I've had. It is traditional sushi in many ways, but it is accompanied by rich, cool sauces that were so incredible that I felt no shame in picking up whatever sauce I could with my trusty index finger and lapping it up. Many of the sauces had a mayonnaise or cream cheese base, and unfortunately, I cannot describe their flavors in full detail, as it's been over a year since my last meal at Nobu. What I can remember about the sauces is that the flavors were savory, tangy, and a little sweet, and that they were a perfect compliment to whatever sushi was on the plate.

Food's place in my life grew at a fast pace during my stay in Venezuela. All of my dining experiences, and time in the kitchen with my family, began to shift my career focus as I became concerned with flavors and textures. Gradually, cooking became more interesting than singing, and eventually, food took over my life.

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