Get to Know Your Cook -- Alex Perez-Ubrina
Written By: Alexandra Perez-Urbina on Tue, May 27th 2008
My name is Alexandra, and I am currently a sophomore at The Restaurant School in Philadelphia. Being a culinary student can be, at times, rather interesting. One can witness all kinds of things, such as pans reaching the flash point in omelet class, fainting, massive sweat, oh, and missing fingertips (I almost cut the tip of my pinky during my first semester). Being a student has its many ups and downs, and I find that I still look forward to summer break even though I'm in my mid-twenties!
My background is a little varied, and I feel like I've been a hermit most of my life. I was born in Venezuela, moved to the U.S. when I was nine years old, and have moved all over New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia (I haven't moved anywhere outside of the city - yet!) ever since.
I love to cook with wine. I do not remember how old I was when I was first exposed to the flavors of wine in food. Venezuelan food is diverse. Spanish and indigenous influences can be found everywhere, though in larger cities, the Italian and Portuguese immigrants left an incredibly delectable mark. Due to those three European communities, cooking with wine is almost standard - my grandfather always used it in his food, and in my family, wine is always a valuable kitchen tool and meal accompaniment.
As a culinary student at The Restaurant School in Philadelphia, I have learned that while cooking can be taught, it needs to be repeatedly applied. I am no expert. It takes years to master anything, and the little piece of paper I will get when I graduate only means that I completed school - nothing more, nothing less. It'll be years before I will let anyone call me "chef."
My goal in WineCHOW is to share some of my school experiences with you, as well as the many different ways of working with wine in the kitchen. Wine is extremely versatile, and that is what is so great about it! I am learning to cook, so that I may share my knowledge - cooking is fun and I hope to share that joy with you!
