baking my destiny
I was destined to be an EATER. A big one. My life revolves around this activity. I liked food as much as I liked my Voltron toys. I was young as hell, but as soon as I attempted to master the art of flipping pancakes, I knew what I wanted (more pancakes!) and what flavours worked well with the things I liked to eat. Not one to sit there and demand or pant around until I got my way – I calmly negotiated with my mum and justified my reasons. In other words, I was a smartarse. But I didn’t win all battles – more on this later. It all started when I got real picky about what sort of birthday cake I wanted to what cupcakes I should bake to sell outside on my street and what frosting would go well with my edible Disney characters that lay on top like flat badges. All kinds of people from local kids to drivers passing through my hood would come by and ask what flavours I had. I would keep a tally of what was most juicy that day so I can keep making those flavours and watched the profits grow (though very tiny!).
blowing it up in the streetz
Some weeks later, I switched to selling imported bubblegum and candy to eliminate food wastage but still catering to the demand. I overheard whispers around the nearby bike track was my fellow rascals were longing for some cool bubblegum so I got thinking…. How could I get cool bubblegum, but in bulk and at a good price?! Costco wasn’t around back then ya see! Luckily, when my family took our first trip to the US, I came across the a huge tub of Bazooka Bubblegum. I hit the jackpot. I used the money I made from the cupcakes and the cash I scored from relatives in the States to buy me a bucket of gum. The kids around the neighborhood absolutely loved it! I sold it for 20 cents a piece making a 100% ROI. I guess my entrepreneurial spirit begun at an early age.
My kitchen BFF of Homer Simpson. It epitomises who I am when it comes to food…minus the beer gut.
start up to textas and how I grew up
After the last piece of gum was sold, I closed shop and just experimenting with various baked goods until I switched my focus on setting up an office in my bedroom as soon as I turned 8 – naming my company Adrian Advertising Inc with signage and all. Ha! I was so particular about what fonts to use and where my ‘receptionist’ aka my cousin should be sitting to take my very important phone calls from my mum who would alert us when lunch was ready. I took long lunch breaks and had set up urgent meetings aka watching my favourite TV shows Roger Ramjet, Monkey Magic, Transformers and Gumby. I also thought textas were way cool and had my ‘receptionist’ arrange them as part of her responsibilities from lightest to darkest in preparation for our younger cousins to use. I guess that’s how I also ended up working in an office. I don’t own my own advertising agency yet, but at least I do get to lead an amazing team of individuals in my day job in the digital advertising space.
For a period, we lived in a house with no heating. There was a heater but it was shattered by the previous tenants. Idiots. In fact, the whole house was vandalised so we all slept in the living room. I would look forward to breakfast because I got to warm up my hands above the toaster. I thought I was Ice Man from the X-Men. Like most kids, I loved attending birthday parties. Though, at the parties I went to, you didn’t find any party pies or fairy bread. Instead, they were pimped out with baymaries filled with an array of Filipino treasures from Adobo to a mammoth sized spit roast pig (Lechon) that sure did attract a flock of grown ups who also came prepared with take away containers. Geeze, was the party for them or for us? No one cared about the birthday cake. It paled in comparison to the other traditional desserts.
Mum never tried to tried to force feed my brother and I brussel sprouts. She was much more clever than that. We had to eat them because at times, that was all that there was at the table. We ate them or went to bed with our tummy’s growling. Unlike my birthday cake or my cupcakes, there was no negotiation here. The same went for fish. I hated fish. It was a combination of the fear of bones and laziness. Like my fat faced cat Creamy, we both prefer steak and jerky (gawd we love jerky) over fish. But the one fish that hooked my carnivorous heart right in was rainbow trout cooked over a bed of charcoal during a summer’s day BBQ. M..mm…mmm!
feels like a teenage dream
In my teenage years, it became clear that second servings was the norm. I applied for a job at the local All You Can Eat Buffet. That’s right, ALL YOU CAN EAT. Let’s just say that my focus was like a broken compass. I knew I had to walk towards the plates piling up but I somehow ended up either in the kitchen waiting by the deep fryer to cook up a batch of fresh battered wings aware that I was knowingly burning my tongue to then ending up at the soft serve ice cream machine making myself a quick fix to cool my burnt taste buds. The owners weren’t exactly fans of my work giving me evil eyes throughout my shift but hey, I was a teenager who had only two things on his mind being food and fun. So I told the bossman where to stick it and got a one way ticket to work at Maccas with the one goal of being able to invent my own burgers (think triple stacked with everything!) and a guarantee that I would always get fresh fries. By this period in my life, I was helping out mum in the kitchen more often learning as time went on and having taken on board some kitchen etiquette at Maccas, I no longer left behind a messy food trail. It may seem like a small achievement, but HOMEBOY, that was a huge feat for the grotty teenager I was.
chips and gravy rolls, food rehab + my views on food blogging
Fast forward to a decade of shenanigans later, I still find solace in a chips and gravy roll like back in in high school and am blogging about the one thing that friends say I should be put into Rehab for due to my borderline ‘pyscho’ nature both in the kitchen and dining table – FOOD. I swear as my niece as my witness, friends can be cruel but in this case, enlightening, because without their good natured name calling and mocking, Food Rehab would have not been possible. And now I have even more friends that I’ve met through blogging that added to the name chart with spins like “Eating Machine” ” OMG Adrian you pig” “Food Junkie” amongst other rather interesting names. Pretty funny shit actually.
Through the ace people I’ve met from bloggers, chefs, industry icons to home cooks and the thousands of read blog posts, I’ve learnt so much. Practical knowledge that you won’t find in a classroom. I love the fact that I’m still learning and my energy; properly engaged. I’m not just talking about cooking techniques, unexplored ingredients and cuisines but the things you learn as a blogger. Disciple is a biggie. Huge even, as you wrestle your day job and whatever you have going on in your life with your passion. Being a blogger shouldn’t take you from first class to coach. It should, if done with much openness and integrity, improve many areas like defining your own unique writing style, networking skills, flexing your creativeness whether it be blog/logo/template design especially if you’re self hosted, project management skills, organisational skills (ahuh), marketing (SEO, ad management if relevant etc..) and of course social media and technology. Every blogger is different. Everyone has their own goals and like me, yours may change as your blog evolves. Now that I’ve finally released my cookbook, I now focus on things I like writing about the most – Filipino food and the popular Cafe Hopping series that receive the most requests plus the recently launched, ‘Your Top 5 Eats of THA Moment?’ that I get all giddy about.
In retrospect, all I can say is, after nearly 4 years of being part of this growing and honestly, changed community, I have no regrets. I’ve created a blog that has yes, I’ll say it again, ‘evolved’ into something that is unique I can be proud of, have remained passionate about and therefore committed on doing for as long as I can mama jax! But like the conversation I was having with a friend in my industry, I feel that something else – another platform is on the rise. Just like social media began it’s mammoth leap more than five years ago or search a decade ago, what’s the next chapter for us bloggers? A few things come to mind i.e. instagram that I’ve mentioned before but we agreed that so long as your blog is written in your own voice, perhaps armed with a rad concept, are not so concerned about ranking, stats or fretting about being ‘polished’ amongst other things or if you’re doing just some of these whilst having fun and being genuine, then that will shine through and readers will respond. Don’t blatantly copy other blogs, their style of writing or impersonate them. Dare to be different. I mean, come on, we’re food bloggers not writers for TIME magazine so boo hoo, who cares what others think? Don’t be so judgmental. Support one another, otherwise, take a damn seat. Make mistakes. I did. Pour your heart into it. I can go on forever about this topic but I won’t because this subject has been touched on many times in detail by other bloggers I admire. Perhaps a Part 2 specifically in that area in another post yah?
from that bazooka bubblegum moment on…
In conclusion, thankfully after all that, I didn’t turn into some uptight, overcritical and narrow-minded food snob. You gotta shake that right off! Otherwise, I would find it nearly impossible to blog about anything let alone feed my ferocious appetite that won’t quit plus it would make me the worst dining companion. Plus, I’m guessing my readers would be like “This shit ain’t right.” Being one to stick to the norm just ain’t in me. I still have that same excitement where I’d randomly open my mouth as wide as Brandy’s smile over such minute details, like I’ve encountered something for the first time. Mum led by example. When she was a kid, she also sold homemade sweets on the streets back home to feed the family and taught me to shut up and eat my damn food and to be grateful for everything put in front of me, whether it be bad or good. Despite our struggles as a family to make ends meet at times, from that Bazooka Bubblegum moment on, I ate, cooked and did anything I thought was possible and gawd dayem, I’m still staaaaaarrrrrving!
Thanks for tuning in. It was long I know, but luckily for you, I actually cut this post short by half! OMG < indeed.
Sky’s the limit…so keep on eating!”
How did you turn into the eater you are today?
If you’re not already signed up for updates from Food Rehab, get on the list and I’ll do my best to keep us learning about none-other than glorious, GLORIOUS food! Also, follow me on Facebook or Twitter if you have either of those addictive things.
Keep eating…LIKE CRAZAAY!
Adrian
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I love this, Adrian. Your insight is at once wise and humorous, something I’ve always appreciated about Food Rehab. “Support one another” – so, so, so important.
I became the eater that I am today because it was my destiny. I’m Middle Eastern. There’s never an occasion that doesn’t involve food, most often 20+ small plates of anything/everything in the kitchen plus things just whipped up, even if it’s just for a neighbor who has dropped by to say hi or deliver something. I’ve always loved this part of my culture. I found similar attributes in cultures around the world through my travels, which only made me love food and people even more.
Unfortunately the Middle East is a widely misunderstood area, more famous now for its politics than beautiful culture and food. So, I switched up my blog focus to reflect my culinary heritage, I guess to help people get a more personal look at what we’re really all about 🙂 We’ll see what happens from here.
Aw thanks Yas. Supporting one another is so important. I mean, why not. I love reading about your Middle Eastern culture on your blog – so well put together and engaging. I would love to travel more so I can experience more cultures.
Thank you for giving me this hilarious (and also, like, super interesting and, like, S-M-R-T) post to read during my five hour bus trip from DC to New York. I remember selling cinnamon gum from America at my high school in Canberra, though we were all more interested in licking the paper and sticking it to our foreheads until it burned.
Also thanks for the Brandi reference, because I totally now have the weird songs from her musical Cinderella movie in my head. “In my own little corner, in my own little chair…”
Sugar Twin High Five!
hehe, so glad I can provide some entertainment on your travels. I still can’t believe you are trekking across the US ST! That is so rad.
haha- re: bubblegum. Oh yeah, I recall Brandy doing that film with Whitney RIP 🙁
What a journey dude! Very entertaining post too. Like you, as much as I love Filipino cuisine, I don’t wanna stick to a certain food group/cuisine either. Congrats on the cookbook!
Thanks RR. Indeed- there are so many different cuisines, we are punishing ourselves if we don’t try all of them at least once.
Very awesome article and thanks for sharing your food journey! Love what you wrote about food bloggers too 🙂
I’m not sure where my food journey began, but ever since I was little I’ve always loved food. I loved reading early on as a child but my favorite parts were always about food (so naturally some of my fave books were “There’s a hippopotamus on the roof eating cake” and “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”) and of course the feasts in the HP novels (hehe) then probably followed by my food tech high school classes. My grandmother and Mum were also both excellent cooks too and so I think they definitely had their own contribution in my food journey 😀
Thanks Christine. Your love for food amazes me. It must be the Filo in you 🙂 Family is def one of the main factors as to why I love food too.
Thanks for visiting my blog earlier! What a treat to come here and find this post. Loved every bit of it, you’re one hilarious guy, love the way you write! 😀 It was also lovely to have ‘met’ you at the high tea, hopefully we can get a proper chat next time. 😉
I’m not actually quite sure how I turned into a foodie, because to be frank, I don’t remember ever really eating all that much as kid. I was quite a sickly child and spat out nearly everything I was fed. Maybe I’m just making up for all the food I missed back then! 😛
Aw thanks. Ah no, well at least you became an EATER when you got older. All you can eat macarons would be right down your alley
Hey Jenny – thanks for your kind words. Hopefully we will catch up soon for either son in law eggs or that dessert trip for macarons that Daisy is planning LOL
Oh no, sorry to hear that. At least you’re making up for lost time 🙂
Adrian, I love your humor. All you can eat is a dangerous concept for us foodies—I hear in bigger cities, they step up the quality and it’s wondermous (however, in my town, not so much). I can relate with your food journey and feel we are kindred spirits =) I love your liberal approach and totally agree that food snobbery is just no fun at all. Food is the one of the greatest things we all have in common and why ruin that with snootiness? =)
Here here! Getting excited about a good meal is the bomb with a dash if humor
Such a great post Adrian 🙂 You sure are a born-foodie and entrepreneur hehe selling your own baked goodies as a little kid and then buying all the US chewing gum and selling it ~ LOL I never would’ve thought of it!
I love how you have stayed true to yourself and kept the same honest, open and humorous just like 4 years ago when you first started! You have in by no means let anything change that which is absolutely wonderful! I’m super proud of your book and the blog has evolved!
Keep up the great work and I look forward to seeing you own your advertising agency 😀
Yea, I was a troubled kid always trying to push food onto others LOL Believe it or not, I think I have always been a lil cray and never stuck to the norm which is a good and bad thing at times but hey, you shouldn’t change who you are right?!
Thanks for your support Tummy Twin.
GOLD. and now i really want some bubblegum.
Hey Suze- aw thanks. Yes, bubblegum needs to make a comeback
I’ve eaten enough Bazooka bubble gum to float away. Wonder if that’s why I love to eat?
I’ve never been a fan of all you can eat – even when I lived in the states where there’s on on every corner. I’ve always called it the trough. 🙂
All you can eat can get a little overboard if not done right – only a handful of places here do it well.
OMG, you do like your bubblegum!
You are one funny man. But I ask this, where do you put it all Adrian? 🙂
haha, that’s what my friends say!
You are awesome!!! What a fab post. I totally agree about the different foods. Its so important 🙂
Thanks Nic. There is so much I’ve yet to try. foooooood!!!!!
Hi Adrian,
Just wondering if you work or not?
I love reading your blog but do you have a job? Because I always see you repling to people on twitter and on here?
Thanks
Xxx
Hi Alice – yep, I do have a day job – though, I’d rather spend all my time eating and traveling. I try to balance the art of blog vs book vs blog vs life
Thanks for your kind words 🙂
Ps.
Are you single? You have a way with words, I’m wondering if you could take me to your favourite place for dinner next week?
Thanks Adrian
Hey again – um, unfortunately, I’m not single – but thank you for asking anyways 🙂
Lovely Post adrian – you are such a strong marketer at such a young age 🙂 love it!
Thanks Julie. I’ve learnt alot from the day job 😉
Hahahahahaha, thanks for sharing your experience. I love reading your blog and this is one of the best posts! What an entrepreneur and born foodie you are, looking forward to reading more about your future foodie and non-foodie ventures!
hehe, thanks Winnie. I’m always up to no good (for the benefit of all foodies of course)
I love entrepreneurship and try to instill that in everyone I interact with
Hi Adrian
I loved this post – funny and candid recount of your love (should I say obsession?) for food. But what is there not to like about food, seriously?
I say you haven’t lived until you become a foodie 🙂
That’s right- what’s there not to like about good food?! Thanks Food Lover.
I like your quote!
Oh Adrian! I usually can’t be bothered reading blog posts that are just blocks of text, but I knew if it was written by you it would be gold. You didn’t let me down! I can now understand how you are the eating machine you are today 🙂 x
ha, oh Shellie! Thanks for takin the taaame to read ma post. I understand though, there are way too many blogs to read these days.
So glad my words were blocks of gold
hi Adrian, I’ve never met you but I feel like I’ve known you for ages (a couple of years IS ages, right?). Great read, and keep up the good work and eating. PS: You have much better hair than Homer does 😉
You know what? I feel the exact same way. Funny how we can build a friendship through words on each other’s blog. Like penpals! LOL
Thanks for your support
Good for you Adrian! I can picture you as a little entrepreneur too-very cute 😀 And I couldn’t agree more re blogging style. Be yourself, there’s no use copying someone else’s style because readers can spot false notes-plus it’s a lazy and silly thing to do! 🙂
hehe, thanks Lorraine. I’ve always been passionate about being an entrepreneur and I guess it has never left me.
yes, being yourself through your blog is the way to go. Otherwise, what’s the point? I agree, copying other’s style is just silly and you can’t keep it up for too long as you’ll lose your passion.
You wok!
Lol!! What a great story and an amazing journey from such a young age!! An entrepreneur and an eater!! I was born an eater too!! I would spend the month before my birthday going through recipe books for the birthday cake and food that would be serves. I even love putting away the grocery shopping so I could plan my cooking and eating. I was only anoint 6 or 7!
Thanks Julie. I like that term – I am an EE! Yes, judging by your posts, you are a great eater full of enthusiasm.
Gosh, your foodie habits did start young hehe – re: grocery shopping!
Oh man Adrian.. you had me laughing so much! I love love love this post! hahahaha
Oh maaa gaaaddd
Awwww Adrian!! Now I understand why this post took as long as it did for you to complete. I can tell you put SO much thought and heart into every word in this post. Thanks for being so honest and open about sharing your life with us. I really enjoyed reading this post so much, and how you shared your journey from the very beginning and your aspirations for what you hope for in the future. Such a beautiful post!! I think what I appreciate most is that as much as you shared about the ups in your life, and how it’s shaped you, you also talked a lot about the downs. I can see how all of those experiences really shaped you to be the amazing, wonderful blogger and friend you are today. You’ve really touched a lot of ppl with your blog and I hope you never stop doing what you’re doing, MC!!!
Yes, it took ages to write…goaaaaassshhh. Thanks for the support W-Dawg. Yes, life isn’t without its downs…I guess it pays to celebrate the highs as they come.
I’ll keep the party going for as long as I can. Your blog woks and cheers for being a trooper this whole time. YOU WOK Keep you the good work with your way cool blog
Adrian, this is an excellent, excellent post – well done!
It’s very obvious from reading this that you’ve had an amazing work ethic instilled in you since you were a little one – how I wish I wasn’t as lazy when I was a young girl haha! You’ve grown up to be an awesome person and someone who your mother is undoubtedly proud of! 🙂 x
Cheers Libby . I think my mum installed that in me. Thanks for your awesome words, it means alot.
You’re so much fun. And I’ve been in “all you can eat buffet” once. It was fun, but I didn’t eat as much as I planned to, hahaha.
Fun times in the blogsphere!!! Thanks Marta
All you can eat is the best if done right!
Can we go on a date? You’re paying of course. 🙂
<3
no no no, Az, you are paying 🙂
I love to eat because my grandma was a freaking great cook. I am a feeder because Grandma loved to feed.
Great post bling partner in crime. Wish we lived in the same state so we can Eat and EAT more!
haha, you are one biiiig eater my Bling Partner. Yes, gosh, when in the world are coming back>???
I loved this post! You were such a little business man – I’m imagining a mini-Adrian selling that bubblegum and keeping a little tally of the profits. So cute!!! 🙂
I’ve always admired that you’ve developed and maintained a really unique voice and style in your blog (and now your book!!) – which I think can be hard to do with lots of different pressures in the blogging world. Good stuff!!!
xox
Aw, thanks Butter Queen. Yes, it is hard to keep it real in the blogging world with so much criticism from journos, fellow bloggers etc…We just need to keep our focus and to keep supporting one another. No one is better than anyone else but yep, keep on rockin on with YO amazin blog Sarah.
Look at that, you speak, and the masses clamor for dates! hehe. Can’t believe it took me so long to read this, because it is p.h.a.t.
I never sold food, because when I was little I didn’t really like food (?!? it’s true! especially desserts! can you believe it?!). So I love reading about you having an entrepreneurial side like that at such a young age. Hilarious. As a kid, I just drew company logos and prototypes for wild insane crazy inventions that weren’t actually very wild, insane or crazy. And acted out hours- to days-long dramatic scenes with the toys in my house. Yep.
I think it’s all thanks to the fellas I’ve dated that I’ve become such a good eater. These burly men that demand MEAT for dinner! I’d make that meat font larger if I could:)
haha,too shy too shy! Thank you!!!!
Love how we talk the same language, We are like brotha and sista from another mutha! OOh, love how you drew such creative designs.
Meat eater!!!!
What a fun post to learn about you, Adrian! Keep up the great work you have been doing. I think I love food because my mom was a great cook and my parents really care about what we eat. I see my son turning into a little foodie and I need to make sure he’ll eat all kinds of food. 🙂 I just read some comments here and I think you have serious fans of yours here. Teehee 😀
Thanks Nami. So cool how we can connect so much from the otherside of the globe!
We learn so much from our mums hey?! Yes, I swear I didn’t mean for this to turn into a dating post 🙂