Hi, my name is Audrey. Cooks is not my surname; it is just something I enjoy doing. My world of blogging was ignited by my brother-in-law Jeffrey, who created my blog in 2006. Because of him, I am now doing my very best to document all my little recipe adventures to share with all.
Recipe journaling has always been a huge part of my life, with a dream that one day I will be able to publish my very own recipe book for all to enjoy. That dream finally came true in December 2014. My first cookbook, entitled “Malaysian Tapas“, was born.
As far as I can remember, my humble little life has always been surrounded by delicious and hearty food, shared among family, church family and friends. My maternal grandmother is a great Cantonese cook, excelling in traditional rich Cantonese cuisine. My mother, on the other hand, loves cooking Penang Nyonya delicacies, thus my love for Nyonya food was born.
Many of my recipes were handed down from my maternal grandmother, grandma-in-law (who lived her life as a Nyonya) and my wonderful 70 ++ year-old mom, June, who never ceases to amaze me with her precise memory when it comes to ingredients and techniques of cooking. My other food influences and inspirations come purely from my love for food and wanting to bless my family and guests with fresh and tasty meals and bites. I used to spend a lot of my time in my kitchen trying out new recipes, modifying some of them to suit my tastes. Lately, I have been more pre-occupied with small projects I take on, as and when time permits me, which mostly involve developing recipes, styling food and photographing them. In other words, I love doing what I do, simply because I love being around food.
Here’s a note to all my readers and loyal followers about my recipes: I often mention adding a teaspoon or tablespoon of something here and there. These are merely rough estimations. Instead of following each recipe to the dot, I would say to you: Use your own discretion. Some of you may prefer less salt or sugar, others may love full-flavoured and hearty morsels. The most valuable thing I have acquired in my cooking journey is the knowledge to rely on my nose when baking and my taste buds when cooking. And so would you.
I have wonderful plans for this humble blog of mine, as I see it become more alive with each post. In a way, it has indirectly inspired me to indulge myself in a related hobby: food photography. I am a self-taught food photographer and never imagined that I would one day photograph my own cookbook. It is so satisfying to see food from so many different angles that sometimes, I really cannot bring myself to mess it up by eating it!
With limited time on my hands daily (I’m a full-time mom, wife and daughter), I occasionally host baking, cooking, food styling and food photography workshops just to share life’s simple pleasures with others. I find sharing what I have acquired from experience most gratifying. It’s like when I am whipping up something in my kitchen, €¦ a place where I actually let my imagination and creativity run wild and free because the end result would be a lovely pot of something that will bring pure satisfaction to my heart and soul.
Join me as I sail through this delicious food journey of mine €¦ just remember €¦. €œOne step at a time, will fulfill a lifetime’s desire.€