Wikipedia defines a foodie as a person who has a refined interest in food and who eats not only out of necessity but also out of interest. Plain and simple, I am a foodie. Always have been and always will be. I often say I live to eat — not eat to live. I enjoy cooking (more so enjoy the eating part), but life was always getting in the way — whether it was the lack of space, time, or avoiding catching COVID-19.
Pre-college and growing up, I was blessed to have my mom cook for me. One of my major influences in growing to be a foodie was her amazing cooking talent. As an undergraduate student, I depended heavily on cafeteria food because of time and convenience (shared kitchens isn’t always a pleasant experience). I supplemented on the weekends with some home cooking (recipes from mom, of course) or eating out. As a graduate student, I took more control of cooking mainly because I had a nice kitchen and a little bit more time on my hands. I still continued to eat out when life got busy. I strongly believe that the best way to learn a culture or visit a new city is by experiencing local foods — I never missed these opportunities.
All this came crashing down when shelter-in-place was announced in California. By putting my community’s needs first, and wanting to stay in a more healthier environment, I needed to start planning out when and where I was going to cook and buy groceries. I only ordered groceries every two weeks for 3-4 months. When it came to satisfying my cravings I needed to get creative. To meet the aim that was to keep me happy through food therapy, there had to be some planning involved. Follow the next articles to learn more!
Simply Prepared 