I'm a 26 year old male and I've been teaching myself how to cook over the past 3 years. It doesn't feel like anybody has come to me and stood out as a role model as somebody to learn from/under so my method has been to research the foods I love online and then find recipes ranging from simple to complex then start working my way up.

I think it first started with Pad Thai. I wanted to learn how to make Pad Thai so I found a simple (and unknowingly) americanized version of Pad Thai that I could try to make at home. It was more like peanut butter noodles but it was delicious and I began to try making other foods I really loved. Next I made my first calzone and then came steak, bread, pizza, pasta et cetera...

I have essentially always been self taught from resources found on the internet and I believe it has served me well. I have no intentions of becoming a chef or cook as a career. I get flustered when I am trying to coordinate two or three dishes to come out at the same time, let alone 10 or 20. I hate being rushed when cooking. Going slow and trying to attain the best result possible is what I enjoy.

Thanks for reading the intro. Here is my first post... I'll be posting some pictures from past creations when I get the opportunity, you'll see how I've progressed.

Tonight I followed an amazing youtube tutorial found here.

http://www.chefsteps.com/courses/accelerated-sous-vide-cooking-course/red-wine-poached-pear

Everything went well. I tried to scale the recipe down by one third because I didn't want to use a whole bottle of red wine. I wasn't sure if I should serve it hot or cold so I let it cool down a little bit and then put a cold scoop of ice cream on the side. The temperature difference between the two left an unusual but refreshing contrast not often found with a sweet fruit dish.

Thanks for viewing.