Greetings friends
Food is this amazing gift that we often take for granted. Even as a chef, I forget how much effort goes into the food I eat, cook, and serve.
Cooking Journey
Curiosity started at a young age - and hasn't quit. It happened that the curiosity lead me into the kitchen. Early on, I remember playing with the spices in the cabinet. Boxed mac & cheese was different every time I cooked it (lol)!
Of course along the way I would learn by failure. I learned the right way to cook potatoes early one after eating partially cooked potatoes. Then I discovered how to make potato skins, yum.
My mom loves to bake & make chocolates while my dad covered the savory side of things. I helped them both because I was already in the kitchen eating ALL THE TIME. My healthy appetite has been a constant too.
We had a lot of fun in the kitchen and ate many many meals around a dinner table. Only one memory comes to mind of a food I didn't eat or try - Lima Beans.
Finding a Culinary Career
I was going to be an architect and spent a few years working towards that goal. When that train derailed, I found myself a bit lost and working in catering/events/restaurants. Even then, it still took another years to end up in culinary school.
As an aside - if I leave the culinary world again, I'll take up architecture. It might be just to design kitchen spaces :)
Culinary school certainly had benefits to lay a solid foundation of cooking and working with food. But school only gets you so far. More fun than culinary school itself was the first catering company I worked for in South Florida. Chef & I still talk and meet up when possible.
I dove in head first and wanted to learn, grow, and take on responsibilities. We had so much fun catering spectacular events all over the tri-county South Florida region. I learned the value of food presentation and a higher level of service.
My career continued in Austin Texas in Hotels, another Catering Company, Staffing, Wedding, and larger scale events. After years in the industry, I found myself needing a break and teaching myself digital marketing, web design, and beginning my entrepreneurial journey.
I traveled and anytime I travel, food was an important aspect - where to eat! New Orleans is in my top 5 for exploring food and eating.
In finding myself back in Florida, there is a healing/wellness journey for another blog post.
Coming Back to Florida
I knew when I landed in Melbourne I would get back into the food industry. Prior to arriving in early 2021, I got back into the kitchen working with a Wilderness School that offers programs for kids (and adults). I continue to work with them and share my gift to the community.
Now, as the Chef/Owner of Fuego & Salt, I get to explore my passion and gift with you!
Stay connected with me and the team as we continue to deepen our relationship with the Space Coast community.
Until the next bite,
Chef Jason