Ever since I can remember, I wanted to be a dentist. I wanted it so much that I even asked Santa for a dentist play-doh kit which I used to play with a lot. After that, when I was a little bit older I greatly enjoyed going to the dentist even if it was just a general check-up because I asked every single thing they were doing, the instruments they were using and what was the purpose of each step. I am pretty sure even doctors were tired of me. There was this time when my mom had an appointment, the doctor allowed me to work on her under his supervision. That was clearly surprising for me at the time and I lived infatuated with dentistry without doubt. When I had to take the UCR exam -the university where I wanted to study- I really had no plan B, the only option was to get admitted. I missed 10 points and my world collapsed.
At that time I had planned to go on a year of exchange to a small town in Montelimar, France. In January of 2018, I took on the journey and my life changed. I had to learn to live alone, look after myself, learn a new language in just three months, tolerate and adapt to a completely different culture other than what I was used to, go from a tropical climate to extreme temperatures and conditions of heat and cold.
I had to wake up at four in the morning and walk 6 kilometers from my house to the nearest town, where I would take the bus that took me to school. During winter, I had to go out with five layers of clothes on. My beanie and scarf covered practically my whole face except for my eyes. I had to wear glasses so the cold wouldn't hurt my eyes, but even so, my glasses fogged up and it was hard to see. The cold permeated through my bones and during my whole trajectory all I could do was to shake uncontrollably without being able to warm up. I remember one specific day, when I felt the harshest cold of my life; I was walking to school and I stopped feeling my toes. All I could do was cry in desperation, when I managed to hop on the bus I couldn’t warm myself up, I arrived at school and couldn't stop shaking; on days like that I really questioned myself about making the right decision about coming on this trip.
I also had to taste new types of food I had never even imagined I would try… within everything that changed, came my passion for food.
To get you a little into context, when I was 17 years old I honestly had no idea how to cook rice even on a rice cooker. I had never made an egg and clearly didn't have a clue on how to use a knife. Living in France made me learn how to cook, since the family I was staying with didn't actually enjoy cooking, making food cero appetizing.
At the beginning everything I tried out came out terribly. I didn’t understand how to use the different species and herbs available. I had no clue on how to cook things, should I sear it, fry it, boil it? When do I know if it’s ready, if it is fully cooked, or if it will taste right? Everything felt so overwhelming because I really had no idea of what I was doing. With time, I understood that if I mixed certain ingredients well, I would have a really good flavor. If I cooked chicken in the oven until it reached an internal temperature of 165°F, it would be on point… or if I fried potatoes, it would result in French fries! I could even boil an egg and have hard-boiled eggs! Eventually, the learning process turned into experimenting and trying, and with time I learned to cook ratatouille, crepes…but the most important thing for me, a fried egg.
I can put a finger on the day I realized I had fallen in love with cooking (Yes, fell in love like finding your first love). One morning, mamie (grandma) was making soup and she asked me to put my head on the pot and tell her which scents I could perceive. I was only able to say oregano and to be honest, I wasn't completely sure about it. At that moment I realized I wanted to know which were the spices she had used, how to use them in other dishes, where they came from and what they were composed of. I called my mom, who was in Costa Rica at that time. It was almost 6 am and all I could say was “mom, I want to go to culinary school” . She almost had a heart attack when she heard the daughter who didn't even know how to make water boil, wanted to cook for a living.
From that moment on, I haven't stopped dreaming with the new dishes I will create or the new techniques I will try and the results I’ll have. Food has become my whole focus, what I think of when I wake up and when I go to sleep, it became my passion, my career and my hobby.
I love how cooking makes me feel and all the different facets that it brings up in me. I love the feeling of cooking for others and seeing their faces of satisfaction when they try something new. I adore trying new techniques and stepping out of my comfort zone to try something I have never done before.
As the great North American chef Grant Achatz said “Food can be expressive and therefore food can be art”. That is what cooking is for me.
I invite you to keep checking up on my page, I can assure you I’ll show you things you would’ve never imagined.