1 . When I was young, I dreamed of becoming a chef. My dad often fought with my mom over the food when he disliked the taste of my mom’s cooking.     1     My dad, however, had a different opinion, insisting that I was too young to learn cooking.     2     I watched and studied how he prepared the ingredients, cut meat and vegetables into pieces, and mixed them all together.

When I was 18, my dad finally allowed me to start cooking. Many people started with a simple fried egg or other fried food.     3     The years of watching my dad cooking made it easier for me to cook more complex foods like roast beef, sautéed (炒) vegetables, and even a cake.

I never needed to use recipe books. I had learned by careful observation for many years, so it was easy to even make my own unique dishes.    4    After several years of experience in the kitchen, I can now make almost every food that tastes familiar and give it a nice new twist of my own style.

    5     Even though today I am just a learning observer lacking relevant knowledge, someday I will become the master of every field I set foot in. I will cook my life according to my heart’s desire and dream.

4 . Cake moulds are cake pans in fun or functional shapes. You might often see them referred to as cake forms or cake shapes. Cake moulds are especially designed to make it easier to bake a cake.     1    

Generally, a cake mould is often made out of silicone (硅酮).     2     Also, it bends easily, making it easier to remove the cake from the pan without damaging it.

Cake moulds are sold in kitchen supply stores and baking stores.     3     A cake mould might also refer to a cake pan used for a specific purpose, such as a muffin (松饼) pan. They are generally fairly inexpensive and last a long time.

    4     You might buy a cake in the shape of a castle for a princess birthday party, or in the shape of a football for a sports enthusiast. Animal shapes are fun to make, and kids can help. For the holidays, you might make a pine tree-shaped cake, or for graduation, a cake in the shape of a graduation cap.

It can be difficult to remove a cake from a cake mould without damaging it. Even if the pan is non-stick, which most are, you should still grease (抹油) the pan well before baking.     5     When you are ready to remove the cake, place a plate underneath the pan and flip (翻动) it over so the cake can slide out neatly onto the plate.

9 . It’s been 20 years since a cookbook changed my life. Before reading every page in Nigella Lawson’s Feast, I didn’t give much thought lo what I ate. Cooking was a boring task I wasn’t particularly good at. Moreover, fear of calories and not being able to fit into my jeans left little room for enjoying things like “chocolate cake”. Nigella, the author of Nigella Lawson’s Feast transformed my relationship with food, changing it from a source of panic to one of limitless pleasure. Leafing through the pages of Feast, I began to think of the women who shaped my cooking. They not only influenced me strongly with their words, recipes and passion for the art of eating, but they also left their mark on the culinary (烹饪的) world.

Take Eugénie Brazier, for example, who grew up with barely enough to eat yet with plenty of determination to achieve great things. After years of hard work on farms and later as a humble cook, she used the little savings she had to open La Mère Brazier, a restaurant that would attract the likes of celebrities. A second location followed, and in 1933, she became the first chef ever to hold six Michelin stars simultaneously (同时地). Known as the mother of modern French cooking, Brazier’s simple yet elegant food changed the way Britain ate.

What Brazier did for the UK, the passionate Julia Child did for America. At a time when TV dinners and tinned foods were gaining popularity, she inspired home cooks to try elegant recipes, teaching them about the use of quality ingredients in an approachable way.

While Julia Child tempted us with her recipes, it was the American author Fisher who enlightened us with her fine cooking prose (散文). In her brilliant essays, she praised the pleasures of the table and explored connections between food and culture. One of my favorite books is Love in a Dish, a charming collection of culinary experiences that transport you to French villages and even describe how the love of food can potentially save a marriage!