I have many “jobs.” They include being a student, hair stylist (ask my little sister), janitor (ask my little sister again), and chef! I love cooking, and being home on break means plenty of it!
Cooking has always been a passion of mine. I started at a young age with small tasks in the kitchen and worked my way up to more challenging jobs as the years went on. I find it calming to make my usual meals and entertaining to experiment with different recipes. My creativity flows through the dishes I make, from their contents to their presentation.
I constantly discover many recipes through social media. When scrolling through Instagram or Tiktok, I always find myself stumbling upon various recipes, most of which I attempt to recreate or use as inspiration. Boredom isn’t a problem when I have dozens of recipes lined up to try.
During this break, I continued my endeavors as a chef. From breakfast burritos with different fillings to smoothie bowls with various toppings, I thoroughly enjoyed toying around with foods in the kitchen.
I made a wide plethora of food, but my favorites were a rice bowl I came up with and the hot pot my family made at home. The rice bowl was the epitome of my experiments. I saw that we had leftover white rice, and my mind spiraled out from there. I topped the rice with a shrimp-green pepper-onion sautéed mixture, tomatoes, quick pickled red onions, avocado, and a boiled egg. I concocted a sweet and spicy sauce, drizzled it over, and feasted! I was very proud of my creation.
The hot pot was influenced by my mom’s friend. She has hosted hot pot at her house many times, which I have attended with my mom. So with her guidance, we attempted one at home. We set out the broth my mom made and laid out all the vegetables and proteins. It was delicious! Definitely not bad for a first attempt!
While at school, I don’t have very many opportunities to cook. The dining hall staff work very diligently, providing three meals a day for the students. Thus my opportunities come with advisory dinners or the cooking club, but those gatherings are not highly frequent. So, when I get home, I take full advantage of my access to a kitchen. I still have plenty of recipes I haven’t tried yet, but it’s okay. There’s always the next break!