James Aptakin

Welcome to Chef Jame's small island of paradise, surrounded by his culinary Hedonism seductive, sensual essence of exotic infused food, where his food dares to tickle your soul. Chef James is bringing sexy back to food the way the senses should escape into serenity, and bliss. He is here to advertise his food and passion , share with you pictures of food, and talent, as well as inspire . Read CHef Jame's blogs; they are inspirational as well as educational about food, poems, and some recipes for he is a true artist. . Chef James has been cooking for 18 years now, it's in his blood, and every breath !!!!, lives it!!!!With the deepest passions of life. A well rounded radiant Positive Soul with Passion for Food and Life:)

"I'm an unstoppable positive force that knows no bearers. Once my mind is set, I accomplish my goals. I’m a kitchen warrior, a cat on roller skates, because you need 9 lives to survive in the culinary world... and riding on God's shoulders helps. There's a saying if you can't take the heat, get your ass out the kitchen! Well, I create heat for a living. For anyone who has ever told you that you're crazy, well crazy is what crazy does, boring is not an option, and the secret ingredient is the spice of life! There’s a free spirited open minded positive energy aura about me that is well balanced in life that was destined as a warrior in this life. I believe in shooting for the moon, if you miss, you land among the stars. I have a fighting spirit about me, with a youthful purity of heart that has surpassed above all challenges in my life. My heart is led by Character, very spontaneous, leader, motivator, strong willed, devoted, and a successful innovating artist, who has sacrificed a lot to get here. I love stimulating,motivating and inspiring others, sharing my knowledge, experience, working hard, and leading through example. No matter how many accolades I get, I stay true to myself with no ego, standing with confidence. I have an adventurous nature about me, and always challenging myself to bigger and better opportunities. I'm told I impress others with my original thoughts, and explosive charming magnetic charismatic personality that makes a strong lasting impression. My warm and easy persona is a gift that puts people at ease, as well as the ability to uplift the spirit in others... Remember, stressed spelled backwards is desserts. Coincidence? I think not! Enjoy!" ----------------------------------------------------------- Gastrique Culinary Mecca Sexy Chef creating memories to last a lifetime of his food. Being a Sexy chef does not mean appeal, it means making sexy food, makes people feel sexy when they see and eat the food, so in a whole, sexy food, makes sexy chef, like naked chef is not naked, its his icon. Love me without fear, trust me without wondering. Love me without restrictions. Want me without demand. Accept me how I am. True friends will grow with you even though you're apart, the rest are not friends. Food is life, cooking is soul!" Chef James is truly blessed having beautiful amazing friends and family, that has made his life rich that no money can buy. His positive unstoppable force of energy is going somewhere and will not bow down to no one, till it reaches its passion leaving footprints in your heart and on your palate!!!!!!!!!! And a super sized smile :)! Let me leave you with a few quotes: Expressions of My Vision..."Your looks may grab my eye, but your personality will hold my heart." -Chris Carlo":) "I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it- Maya Angelou" Life is only 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it, so my attitude is a good one for I use my heart to lead, for Anger is only one letter short of danger. “Life without passion and spice is dull.” "Nothing evokes emotion more than food." Chef James is known as the man who says "Keep the faith, and keep the passion alive!!!!!!". Bio " Everyday of my life has been a battle and a living challenge that has given me my energy vibe to be a survivor and a true living warrior. I learned at a young age to intercept negative energy with positive enrgy , and the more people would tell me I would't amount to nothing, or I would be nothing, made me work even harder to prove them wrong. Every time some said i couldn't or you will never be able do that, made me do it even more. The doctors told my mom who adopted me at the innocent age of 4, that I had been beaten so bad in one of the 12 differn't foster homes I lived in, that i would never learn to read or write like the other kids. Well with enough love and someone beliving in me, I slowly became the warrior I am now. Top of my class in school, and winning the foodnetwork, and getting to the top of my own latter in this food world soon:), so yes im a true warrior at heart and try to help others see that there is something out there if they just belive have faith and keep the passion alive:). Don't ever let any body tell you, you can't. Have a dream and live that dream, for I have been dreaming with my eye's open, living proof you should never give up on your self because others think you can't in this life, so go out there and turn all those lemons or limes into lemonade or margaritas." Chef James was born and raised in Miami... where he gets his Cuban, Spanish influence, and wild side. He loved cooking ever since he was 8 years old, making cookies with his mom, and learning how to cook Asian food at the age of 11. He would go to friends' houses and prepare a full meal, with astonishment from his fans at such a young age. He says he owes it to his Mom for putting this passion and knowledge in his life. He was adopted at the age of 4, not knowing his nationality until 26... growing up confused, he thought he might of had some Asian due to his eye's, and being teased by his friends... but turns out he's an Italian, Jewish, Irish, German ... like Bouillabaisse(more thats in it, the better it is). His mom thought she was Asian in her past life, an artist, and into Asian cultures through her pottery and teaching classes. James was making dragon Plates out of ceramics at 10 years old. Brought up cooking Asian, Cuban food, and using chop sticks from the age of 6. He grew up with a respect for Asian cultures and cuisines through his mom, and traveling the world in the Navy cooking for 6,000 people on the USS Abraham Lincoln cvn 72 back in 1992. He learned how people live in different regions due to climates, and how food is cultivated, as well as about the people through food then any history class. He has a fascination with the Asian cultures, dragons, yin yangs, martial arts, and beliefs ever since he was a kid. A Philipino warrior at heart for all that know him. he can cook Philipino and teach classes as well. Before the Military, through high school he worked various restaurants in Miami, and then plunged into California working for Large convention hotels. Went to school at the California Culinary Academy, and continuing education at the Culinary Institute of America. Most of his training and schooling has been in the Bay Area California San Francisco. He now runs a full service hotel and does offsite catering from 10 people to 1,000 people through the hotel. Everything from sit down 3 to 9 course meals, extravagant international low and high end Buffets, and Wine dinners with the wine makers all over Napa Valley, where he works with the owners of the winery to use chemistry and biology of food, to match 5 course meals with different varietals of their wine to create a match made in heaven. Been with the Hilton for 6 years and does everything you can imagine there to make the passionate culinary magic come to life. He volunteers his time to go to farmer markets and teach people how to cook with seasonal fruits and vegetables by doing demonstrations and handing out samples of his recipes. charity events to help unfortunate people with his time raising thousands of dollars and publicity through the community with his food. Chef James has been published in news papers, magazines, on local TV, and advertised, as well as talked about on the radio, and this is how he was recognized through the food network through all his passion for charity events to make a differnce in his communtiy, giving back through his time and talents. He's a small celebrity Chef where he runs the full service hotel right now. Personal friends with Cat Cora who is the first Iron Chef Woman USA, who used his kitchen to practice for the iron chef competitions when she lived down the street befor moving to santa barbra. His food is very inspiring on the cutting edge of infusion cuisine, where he's more of a pioneer, creating new dishes all the time. He's a master of South American, Caribbean, Hawaiian, and Pan Pacific, where he fuses them together to create hot vibrant, beautiful culinary creations that are out of this world. He also does food art where he creates huge center pieces together made out of fruits and vegetables, tropical islands, swans, roses, and beautiful creations. He's a true artist with creativity, passion, talent. His food is Sexy, which is where he gets the name The Sexy Chef. His biggest goal is to be on the Food Network, where the world will truly see a young talented inspiring chef take off, showing the world a whole other side of cooking. One day soon, the whole world will know Chef James. That day was Agust 24, 2008 when Chef James and Vic Vegas won the Big Bash Caters on Foodnetwork Challenge. Anyone who has had his food has fallen in love with it, and it has made Chef James successful in this culinary world. Chef James is the cripled grass hoper who became the master lol... His passion and love is infectious... and his food... unforgettably delightful. --------------------------------------------------------