Cultural Exposure? Or, God's divine design?

I've been wondering ... Is my passion for cooking, grand desire to be a Personal Chef, constant exposure to food and preparing food since I was 8? Or, is it God's genetically crafted gift for me while I'm here on this planet?

I first had this question lingering in my mind one night while "playing with food" at my friend's house, Seraphina and Kenton. Seraphina loves chocolate! And she and her husband are always thinking of ways to prepare chocolate in new and interesting ways. So, who do they call to venture into the experiment? Me! And I'm glad and honored to accept the challenge.

This one particular night we were making puff pastry filled with chocolate ganache. Before the cook’s test night began...I've made ganache often, but never filled it into a puff pastry. Like a good little student I did my research and brought recipes to the "students’ hour". When it came time to fold the puff pastry and folding it into a triangle standing cone...it came quite naturally to me and they were beautiful. I dismissed the notion with the thought...It's just like folding paper. Or, my hands are accustomed to working with puff pastry. In reality...there might be more of an explanation.

I talked with my Mother, while cooking of course, and she said... I have my Grand Mother Copeland's gift for cooking. Now, Grand Mother Copeland is my Father's Mother. My Grand Mother could cook! I watched her over the years preparing and serving her Arizona dishes and dishes from Louisiana. She would visit our home in Oakland, California from Arizona and prepare gumbo, corn fritters, cakes, pies. You name it! And, I stood by her side watching in amazement at the science of cooking and the wonder of how, in the end, the food would taste.

Years later I learned of a restaurant in Louisiana called Copeland’s. Is there a connection to my Family name and cooking? Is there a connection between cooking and my childhood history of being exposed to cooking, at a young age by watching my Mother (her pot roast is amazing) my Grand Mother and of course watching Julia Childs and the Galloping Gourmet on TV, while most children were watching cartoons. Is this genetic exposure or God’s design?

So, I’ve decided to venture on a Cook’s Journey to see if my Father’s family history will explain the connection and ultimately created the Cook I am today.

I will post the journey on this blog and see where it leads…. Just as soon as I find the money to invest in Ancestry.com. I’m still finding my way out of the other journey I’ve been on… economic downturn. But, as my Pastor says, a setback is a setup for a super natural comeback! I’m leaning into to God to lead me the way.

Cooking with love … always makes any recipe taste better. Lady E