When I got into this cooking game some 8 years ago, I never dreamed I would be an executive chef at a restaurant, or write a cookbook, or even have my own line of spices. But a lot of hard work, and a passion for food has got me to where I am today. At my recent supper club in DC, a lot of people were asking me when I was going to open my own restaurant. “Whenever some angel investor decides to drop a couple hundred thousand dollars on me,” I answered. Restaurants are no easy undertaking, and plenty of them fail in their first few months, but show me the money, and I’m game. But my proudest achievement in this whole realm of food so far has got to be my YouTube channel, simply called Skiz Fernando.
As a filmmaker with 3 features under my belt (2 docs, and a fiction film), I might have taken another path on this Earth, but even though film never panned out for me, I still like to make videos. I shoot plenty of footage–usually with a food-centric focus–on my various trips to international destinations, and I also love to make instructional cooking videos. Since my specialty is Asian food, my show Pan Asian shows you how to make a simple, quick and delicious Asian dish in usually under 15 minutes. My travel-related videos usually fall under one of two types–Off The Eaten Path, in which I expose some unknown corner of the food world, or Adventures in Dining. I recently pitched Off The Eaten Path to The Cooking Channel as a kind of reverse Bourdain, in which I eat at ethnic enclaves all over America, and expose this food to the mainstream, but they were not confident in attracting an “ethnic” audience. Little do they know that 5 years from now, minorities will be the majority in America, and most food will be “ethnic.” Oh, well, I have dealt with people with little or no vision for most of my life. That’s not going to stop me from doing my thing.
Which brings me to the point of this post: I have a YouTube Channel with over 100 food and travel related videos, folks. No one paid me to do these, and they are all a reflection of my passion for creative pursuits like writing, and making music and films, and cooking. I make these videos primarily for me–as a creative outlet–but the content is really for all of you. So, please, help a brother out, and subscribe to my channel and watch my videos. I guarantee you will find something interesting or derive some benefit or pleasure from them. The fact that I have recently monetized my videos also means that I am earning pennies with every click. Those pennies add up, however, so far be it from me to scoff at this income. And who knows? Perhaps if my channel blows up, The Cooking Channel or someone else might come knocking on my door and offering me a show on cable. Maybe, I’ll be making so much money on YouTube by then that I can turn them down.
Please subscribe to Skiz Fernando on YouTube today!!!!
I heard the Washington Supper Club was a great success! My friends and I are looking forward to attending the Baltimore one on December 6. Good luck Skiz!
I love your Youtube channel! Your videos are very well done and the techniques look easy to follow. Plus you got those cool joints playing in the background 🙂
Thanks very much John
Respect, John!
Hello Skiz, having enjoyed our recent visit to Sri Lanka immensely I was really pleased to buy your cookbook Rice and Curry Sri Lankan Home Cooking and am pleased with my amateur results. We bought some curry powder out there but can’t find where to buy this in England, can’t get through to your website Foodoro or Foodzie! Please could you tell me what I should look for in the UK or can I buy it online for delivery to UK?
Many thanks Alison
Hi Alison:
Glad you enjoyed your trip to Sri Lanka. If you are in London, you should be able to find some Sri Lankan roasted curry powder. If not, I suggest you use the recipe in my cookbook. That is the exact same recipe I use for Skiz’s Original (which is available again through my own site http://www.skizsoriginal.com, though I’m sure shipping to England is going to be prohibitively expensive). I would quadruple the recipe so you have extra for the next time. If you do not feel like doing this, send me your mailing address and I can figure out how much postage is going to be to England. All my best! Skiz