Recipes for Success:
Cooking Life Lessons | TeamCooking Blog
Welcome to the first installment of our “Recipes for Success” blog series at TeamCooking.ch. Join us on a captivating journey through the life of a passionate chef, discovering how cooking shapes not just careers, but entire lives. This series will reveal how the lessons learned in the kitchen apply to teamwork, leadership, and personal growth – the very essence of what we do at TeamCooking.
The First Ingredients:
Childhood Curiosity
From my earliest memories, the kitchen was my playground. At just ten years old, I made my first significant culinary leap – calling my grandmother for her prized lemon pie recipe. This simple act marked the beginning of a lifelong passion for creating delicious, flavorful dishes.
A Winding Path
to the Kitchen
Like many great recipes, my journey to becoming a chef wasn’t straightforward. Before donning the chef’s whites, I explored three different career paths over six years. However, the call of the kitchen was always there, simmering in the background.
The Global Flavor:
From Colombia to Argentina
Although Colombian by birth, my culinary journey took on an international flavor early on. At 17, I left home, experiencing life and cuisines in various countries, including the USA and Argentina. These experiences would later infuse my cooking style with a unique, global perspective.
The First Taste of
Professional Cooking
Finally, in 2006, I took the plunge and enrolled in culinary school in Argentina. Eager to immerse myself in the culinary world, I immediately secured an internship at a renowned Buenos Aires restaurant. This was my first true encounter with a professional kitchen – a far cry from cooking for friends and family.
The Adrenaline Rush
of the Kitchen
Entering culinary school felt like stepping into a dream. The adrenaline, the teamwork, the service – every aspect of being part of a kitchen crew was exhilarating. From the intensity of the dinner rush to the camaraderie of post-service beers, I was living my passion.
Life’s
Unexpected Ingredients
Just as I was settling into this new world, life added an unexpected ingredient to my recipe – my beloved partner became pregnant with our first child. This new development would require some adjustments to my culinary journey…
At the age of 23, I embraced the role of fatherhood, a transformation as profound as any culinary technique I had learned. This new chapter in my life led us to a change of scenery – the beautiful land of Ecuador, my partner’s home country.
