About The Cook
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclaimer policy
My name is Tom Papia. I am a food lover who has been cooking since I was a little kid.
I am first generation Italian American. My dad and his family came to this wonderful country in 1963 from Favara, Sicily. With them, they brought their culture and cuisine. Through the years, their food and culture united with American food and culture. By the time I was born in 1985, the food that they ate was a little bit Sicilian, Italian, and American.
I have been cooking for about 30 years, dating back to the first time I helped my mom make Sunday dinner. I was about 6 years old. I remember helping my mom crush up the whole plum tomatoes with my little hands. Then she would use them in the marinara sauce.
From there, my interest in food and cooking developed. I would cook with my mom every chance that I got. I learned a lot from her. Especially, how to make quick, flavorful dishes, using everyday ingredients without recipes. I also learned a lot from my grandma (Nonna).
I have fond memories as a kid watching her cook, and then as I grew up, helping her in the kitchen. She spoke very little English and yet we understood each other completely and our relationship grew from cooking. In the years since she passed away, I have tried my best to honor her memory. I continue cooking her dishes and creating dishes inspired by her. I plan to continue tradition and pass them on to my children and other family members.
More About the Cook
As I got older and started to cook on my own, I found that I did not like following recipes. They were too rigid, I did not like reading all the instructions. I did not understand most of the “fancy” cooking terms. I took the food and made it the way that I could. If I made a mistake and the dish turned out terrible, I learned from it and moved on.
I am a semi-trained cook and not a professional chef. I am an avid food lover who has spent many years making great tasting food for family and friends. My nine-to-five job is in Information Technology, but my main hobby and passion is cooking. The joy that I get from preparing a meal for another person and seeing their satisfaction is very fulfilling. I love to share that joy and fulfillment with others.
Even More About the Cook
I do have a history of working with food. My first job was working at an Italian Deli and Caterer. I was 15 years old and worked one day a week on Sundays. This is where I began to pair my love of food and cooking with some sort of semi-formal instruction. This instruction was in the form of “watch what I do”. The owner and staff at the deli were not formally trained. They had businesses for years and passed that knowledge through the generations. The only semi-trained employees were the “butcher” and “head” cook.
At the deli they started me with basic tasks, and I had to work my way up to more responsibility. The first year of my training, I washed dishes, cleaned the equipment, and mopped the floors. I also chopped parsley, basil, garlic, and onions, and grated cheese and stale Italian bread to make breadcrumbs. I would watch and learn from the cook and butcher, every chance that I could. I would volunteer to do the messy jobs, like cleaning the meat grinder and grease trap, all so I could spend some time learning from them.
After that first year, I earned more responsibility. My cooking ability and confidence improved. Over the next 4 years, I earned even more responsibility. This led to me working without supervision. Before I knew it, I was able to cook Italian dishes for parties, prepare cuts of meat for sale, and make many varieties of deli salads and sandwiches. Also, I was learning and running many aspects of the business.
Still More About the Cook
Continuing my food journey during college, I needed an outlet to continue my love for cooking. I decided to cater parties as a part time job. When I had the time, I would cook the food, have a lot of fun, and make some money.
When I moved on to my graduate education, I decided to work at a local restaurant. I wanted to learn the “whole” picture of cooking as a profession and as a business. Up to that point in my life, I was on the fence about having a career in information technology or food. After 2 years in the kitchen and obtaining my master’s degree, I decided to have my career in IT. I did maintain cooking as a hobby and passion.
After a few years and promotions, I found myself wanting more from cooking. Yet, now with a family to support, I needed to maintain my main source of income. That is when I decided to create a food blog and share my ideas.
About Invent Your Recipe
The idea for this website came about from me trying to write down recipes for my wife, who wanted to be able to cook the dishes I love. As I began writing recipes down I found it difficult because I always change the ways I prepare dishes, I like to create, not emulate. The name “Invent Your Recipe” was a direct result of the idea of creating.
And the motto for this idea of Invent Your Recipe is: Create, Taste, Innovate
I hope that this website can serve as a platform for sharing ideas and for pushing the boundaries of contemporary dishes. Thank you for visiting this about the cook page and I look forward to inventing recipes with you!
