Blue Fire

To my chagrin, I must admit that I am at a lost when it comes to mastering the domains of my kitchen. My first encounter with cooking a meal, featuring Beef and Broccoli, for my husband (then, college sweetheart) began with an urgent call to my mom asking, “Mom, where can I buy meat?”

She paused. In a reticent and inquisitive tone she responded, “At the supermarket? No?”

To this day, Mom has never let me live down that insanely ridiculous question. What I had meant to ask her was, “Mom, from which supermarket do you buy beef?”

While cooking to me is about as natural as forcing a square peg through a round hole, thanks to my patient husband, my guinea pig and brutally honest critic, I’ve come a long way from Beef and Broccoli and have mastered a humble repertoire of mouthwatering dishes to make even the elite epicureans salivate.

My younger brother, on the other hand, is a natural iron chef. When he invites me over for dinner, it is an invitation to enter a world sinfully designed to satiate the glutton in me. Born with effortless talent and passionate interest for the culinary arts, his cooking is a harmonious orchestra of the senses: smell, sound, sight, touch, and taste.

Upon stepping into his home, I stand transfixed and just breathe as my olfactory sense is immediately treated to the wonderful aromas wafting from the kitchen. A cloud of scent seductively crooks its finger coaxing me to follow it into the kitchen, where the sounds of drawers opening, utensils clashing, knives sharpening, and so much more, reverberate off the walls. What would have been a cacophony in my kitchen is transformed into a symphony in his. On the island counter, my eyes “eat” up the display of crisp greeneries, tender cutlets, and exotic spices, that will soon be happily married over the powerful gas range lit by a series of dancing blue flames. Like a child at a candy store, I eagerly request for a sample of anything piping hot from the stove. At last, my taste buds are overcome with serenity as they are rewarded with an explosion of divine flavors.

At ickyBINKY, I believe that food is the cornerstone to enriching a family. Therefore, my brother and I are teaming together to launch Blue Fire – a series of unique recipes inspired by food creativity and culture.

Coming soon…a slice of salmon, a stem of Thai basil, a hint of paprika, and then some. Hope you enjoy it.