I am a 22 year old girl, fresh out of college attempting to navigate the “real world” what ever that may be considered. I have always had a creative side to my personality, but it was not until college that I discovered my passion for all things food and beverage. I spend my free time recipe testing, cooking for friends & family, I even had my own gourmet cookie company. Point is, I am always creating something, I can’t sit still!

My sophomore year of college I struggled with eating. I was restrictive and was in a terrible mental state for a period of time. As I gradually started to grow out of that unhealthy mental state, it was time for my junior year of college.

I am moving into my new apartment and my parents take me on my first grocery run of the year. My mom grabbed a bushel of parsley, assuming that was a necessity in my kitchen. Keep in mind, I have been eating trader joes soup dumplings and dining hall food for the past two years. I was confused why she thought I needed parsley, but we got it.

You know when herbs go bad and they smell weird and turn all yellow and gross. Well yeah, that is exactly that opposite of what I challenged myself with. I told myself I would use this whole bushel of parsley before it rotted. And that I did. I remember so vividly, I made my favorite parsley and pecorino omelet my mom would make me as a kid, chicken cutlets, and I make spaghetti agilo e olio. All of the foods that bring me right back to that sense of home.

My found passion for cooking is similar to a math equation. Here it is:

Y = mx+b

Where:

Y = My found passion for cooking

m = My determination

x = The bushel of parsley

b = The restrictive times I went through

Can you tell I have a degree in engineering?

XO,

Julia