| In my family, the men were predominantly the cooks while the women took care of the other chores. Not quite the norm but there was always the advantage of coming home to a well-cooked meal made by the man of the house. My grandfather was one of the better cooks in the house. I remember spending most of my childhood in his presence whilst he cooked and moved around the kitchen with a precision that was to be envied. I wanted to be just like him or even better. He taught me the basics and as time went by, he allowed me to experiment and develop my kitchen personality.
Growing up in a small island rich in agriculture, we used a lot of home-grown fruits, vegetables, meats, and seasoning. He held such high expectations of me that sometimes, I felt that he forgot I was not yet a professional. I was barely a teenager, yet he sparked my interest by testing my knowledge of various herbs and spices and their uses, whether culinary or medicinal. We could often be heard in the home garden revising what he taught me. Practice almost made perfect! I made my fair share of mistakes whilst learning. All of this led to my right-of-passage meal, fish broth. I mistakenly added the fish too early which resulted in it falling apart. Let’s just say I never made that mistake again. I kept learning as I cooked – ways to improve flavor and presentation. Even after completing college and well into my career in finance and taxation, the passion for culinary arts still burned within me to the point that I felt incomplete if I wasn’t in the kitchen or somewhere looking up new recipes. I continued to gain knowledge from family, friends, and the internet. Those who know me well know that I was very talented but was too shy to display my work online for others to see. Soon after migrating to the US, I decided that it was time to break free from my self-imposed cocoon. After much encouragement, I was finally open to being on camera and displaying my skills. The year 2019 became my year of blossom when I decided to start my YouTube channel and Instagram account. I chose the name ‘FrugallyT’ because my humble upbringing taught me a lot about how to create amazing things using the little that I had, and I thought the name encompassed my personality. I started with my favorite local dishes. I wanted people all over the world to learn about my beautiful island Dominica, our dishes, and culture. I also included recipes that I liked from other countries. Since taking that leap of faith in 2019, my followers have been steadily increasing. Now blogging has become a treasured hobby. I am always open to trying new dishes and improve my skills. My husband and son continue to be my official taste testers, cheerleaders, and my best critics. I also blessed to have supportive friends and family along this journey. Thanks for the support! So, this is how it started! I’m excited to share more stories and content with you. Stay tuned! |
Follow Tracy’s cooking and kitchen tips on IG: https://www.instagram.com/frugallyt/