To be honest the Mark Chong Experience is about passion for food. For as long as I can remember, cooking has been my life love. In fact, to express what I have for food as “love”, may be an understatement… cliché as that may be to you. Perhaps a better word would be “passion”, since my definition of that word is love, amplified by skill, coupled with the desire and drive to excel at it. A more apt term, don’t you think? I think so, therefore, I have a passion for food.
Discovering new culinary delights excites me! It’s the flavours, combinations, hacks, tips, and techniques to make food a much better experience that fuels this passion of mine. Anyone can cook, cooking isn’t hard. But not just anyone can create an experience from food. Food should ignite emotions, bring the taster on a journey that delights the senses and makes the heart yearn for more. To be able to do this, one has to think about more than just the taste, and plan the look, feel, smells, “share-ability” of a meal. It is in all aspects, a work of art. As a creator of culinary experiences, my team and I take pride in seeing the reaction of people enjoying our food. It’s an incredible experience for us, every single time.
I have been sharing my culinary experiences now, through my catering services and restaurants for over three decades, but now it’s time to share my passion for food in other ways too. My whole life revolves around food; from creating new menu items, new food business concepts to thinking about new ways to provide meal experiences. This blog will serve as a another medium for me to share my passion with you.
Sharing the culinary experiences
That’s another thing the ‘Mark Chong Experience’ is about, sharing my passion for food and not keep it to myself. This space will be an information haven for all things food and food lovers in all forms. Here I will be sharing recipes for my favourite comfort foods, snacks, holiday meals and flavour combinations. I’ll even share the techniques my team and I use in the kitchen to make our masterpieces. Want to learn to cook? I got you. Need to get better at the skills you’ve been trying to master? Welcome to my space. Good cooking shouldn’t be a secret, so here, I’ll be giving you the codes to get “game on” in the kitchen.
I’m Jamaican, and so is every single member of my team. So, our passion for food combines with patriotism and the very clear understanding that authentic Jamaican flavours are very, very important for our meals, no matter how innovative we are. I’ll share with you how I turn regular local fares into extraordinary delicacies.
Cooking is for everyone
Whether you are a food expert, great (or not so great) cook, certified chef. Or someone with no culinary experiences and just decided on a new relationship with your kitchen, welcome. This space is for all of you. I want you to feel comfortable to give feedback, share your thoughts or your take on the things I will share here.
Welcome, welcome, welcome… Let’s get cooking, shall we?
Here’s a little tip to start things off:
Did you know you shouldn’t refrigerate whole, uncut tomatoes? This is because cold temperatures can break down the texture and weaken the flavour. In other words, they last longer in cool temperatures, not cold. So the next time you go shopping for these colorful fruits (yes, tomatoes are fruits), keep them in a cool area of your kitchen.
Once you cut them however, with the intention to only use a piece, put the unused portion in an airtight container and put it in the fridge.
Until next time… Eat Good.