I love eating! Eating and cooking come together in my life. Cooking to me is not a chore but a creative process that I enjoy. Cooking and eating involve all five senses.
I am not a gourmet cook. I don’t have any formal training in cooking. I didn’t start cooking until I left home for college. I cook for my own enjoyment with ingredients I can get. I believe cooking has many benefits:
- building a connection between the food and my body/mind. Knowing what is in my food and how the ingredients come together to become a dish, my body doesn’t experience ‘anxiety’.
- eating exactly what I want. I have certain preferences that no restaurant can accommodate. This is important for people with diet restrictions.
- good for the environment. I do feel guilty when I order take out, fast food, or taking home leftovers. All the packaging that I don’t use when I cook and eat at home.
- quality time with family and friends. Food brings people together.
- save money. I enjoy going out for good food with good service but it gets expensive. I invest in good quality cookware so I get better results.
Cooking does take time, but it is time well spent. My goals is encouraging people to cook more for and with their loved ones. Through sharing recipes, I hope to create an energy of happiness.
9 dishes I made for Chinese New Year celebration with family.
MICHELLE CHIANG 
