Experimenting in the Kitchen, My New Passion

Recently, I’ve been really interested in cooking – whether trying out new recipes or adapting/developing my own! The thing with me is is that I get intimidated by many recipes and cuisines because I still don’t have the basics of cooking, or what I like to call Cooking 101. At least I think I don’t, although I’m more familiar in the kitchen than many of my peers.

I think a large part of this new found love has to do with how much food I waste, as awful as it is. If you ask my friends, they’ll tell you I HATE wasting food. Whenever we go out to eat, I’ll either devour the plate or take the remainder home. And even if I don’t eat my leftovers, I’ll give them to a family member to finish. I’ve become more aware of how much my grocery bills rack up to and now, I shudder at the thought of wasting anything hat I purchased, especially fresh items. I also realized it’s okay to go to the grocery store a few times a week if that makes me purchase less the first time around. Plus, I find myself constantly heading over to Riverwards Produce to choose which veggies and fruits I need for a particular dish, rather than buying loads of veggies that just rot in the fridge.

Lastly, since I work at a food company and am surrounded by colleagues who are excited by innovative dishes and an array of cuisines, I’ve become more connected to discovering what I am capable of in the kitchen. Last March while I was an intern at Soom Foods, my boss decided to implement what we titled “Cooking with The Soom Crew.” Essentially, once a month, we take an hour to an hour and a half break and experiment with tahini and our other food products not only to explore the versatility of our products, but also for team bonding purposes. Through this series, I’ve learned so much from my fellow employees and have been excited by researching recipes. There’s nothing better than combining your work/career with your personal life/passion. And, I mean, who else gets to say they get paid to look at food all day?!

Anyways, recently I’ve tweaked my mom’s Fruit Torte recipe, my sister’s Banana Bread, and created my own Minestrone soup. What I love about these recipes, in particular, are that they are 1. SO damn easy, 2. SUPER flavorful, and 3. and a hybrid between not super fattening and pretty nutritious. I can’t wait to share these recipes with you!

Stay tuned for the upcoming blog posts that feature these recipes. And while this blog is and will not solely be dedicated to food, I’m excited to explore that newly found passion with you all.

XO,

Julie