My lifelong love of cooking is directly related to my lifelong love of eating. My first memories of cooking were with my mother. I remember, at a very young age, helping her make cookies. I loved to eat the dough—maybe even more than the finished product. I thought the sugar/shortening combo was especially tasty! My solo foray into the world of improvised cooking (excluding such “experiments” as pouring all of mom’s spices into a bowl—and all over the counter—and stirring together the mystery brew) came, I think, before I even started school: I attempted to make Cheerios. Overall, I think that I did quite well. They turned out as little dough things that I baked and were, at least, edible. What puzzles me still about the whole venture is my failure to put holes in the center. Now I can’t imagine Cheerios without holes in the center, but I guess back then I was a bit more imaginative!
One of the defining moments of my amateur cooking career came several years later, when I was 7 or 8 years old. We lived in the Bay Area and I went with my family to the Japanese restaurant Benihana. For those who have never been, Benihana is a chef-cooks-at-your-table teppanyaki-style Japanese restaurant. I watched closely as the chef prepared the fried rice at our table. I made mental note of each of the ingredients he used and how he prepared the dish. Later, I tried it myself at home. My fried rice tasted great! This was the first real dish that I learned to make all on my own.
Around this same time, I had become very interested in Asian cuisine. One of my best friends in the 3rd grade was a boy whose family had emigrated from Japan. His mother made the most delicious teriyaki chicken wings you could imagine! I loved the food and I was instantly drawn to the culture as well.
This brings me to my next formative cooking experience. During my elementary school years we lived near my grandparents and would visit there often. My grandma was very kind and encouraged my interest in Japanese cooking and culture. I remember experimenting together to make a variety of Asian dishes, including egg rolls and gyouza (potstickers). I think they turned out well, and this is a fond memory for me. (My grandma and I still enjoy going out together for Japanese food.)
At some point, I returned to cookie and brownie making. I’m sure that this grew out of my desire to eat cookies and brownies. For brownies, I still mainly stick to the boxed mixes. I make cookies, however, from scratch. I pride myself on making some of the best chocolate chip cookies ever. I don’t do anything complicated, but through experimentation I found a few things that I think increase the likelihood of making a delicious cookie (see recipe on this site).
When I was 19-years old I had the privilege of living in Japan for two years as I served as a volunteer missionary for my church. In Japan I came to love Japanese cuisine more than ever. I ate foods that I never knew existed—and they tasted good! I loved the healthful simplicity of the dishes, which were never short on flavor. Of course, there were a few things that, no matter how hard I tried, never seemed to agree with my palate: ikura (salmon eggs), natto (fermented soybeans), and hoya (sea squirt) are the items that I eventually gave up on. But I had a wonderful adventure as, for the first time in my life, I was responsible for my making my own meals. I learned to bake brownies and cakes in kitchens that were only equipped with toaster ovens. I learned to use the common cooking ingredients of Japan to make traditional Japanese food, as well as some of my own “Americanized” meals. I served under two different mission presidents while in Japan—one Japanese and one American. Coincidence or no, both wives were wonderful cooks and made some of the tastiest meals I can remember. I was able to collect a few of my favorite recipes from them.
I’ve named this blog, The Iron Sheff—a play on my last name and my favorite cooking show. After my mission, Iron Chef (the original Japanese version) became one of my favorite TV shows. I remember first watching it with my dad almost every Sunday night one summer. I remember watching it regularly with one of my best friends when I lived for a summer in Hawaii. I was married this summer to a beautiful girl, Erin. I enjoyed introducing her to the awesomeness of Iron Chef—and we love to cook together. Truth be told, she is the real Iron Chef in our family—she can whip up the greatest meals without even using a recipe (and I think she gets it done in less than 60 minutes)!
In recent years, as I’ve continued my academic pursuits, I continue to enjoy cooking. It is something that I feel relatively skillful in, yet there is always more to learn and new things to try. Unlike some of the experiments I do nowadays in the lab, results in the kitchen usually come in an hour or two, for better or worse. And, barring a freak event where something goes completely wrong, most kitchen experiments result in a product that can be safely consumed—and usually enjoyed!
To me, cooking isn’t nearly as rewarding unless you get to share it with other people. Don’t get me wrong—I love to sample what I cook. But, like most worthwhile things in life, the most satisfaction comes when we share. It is in the spirit of sharing that I created this blog—to share with my family, friends, and anyone else who may be interested. Itadakimasu! Enjoy!
