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The Opposite of a Chef

     *Note: I need to expand my ending and find more perspectives, so any advice on this is welcome!

   I have always loved food. Some of the happiest pictures of me as a child are those where I am covered in food. The rest of my family shares the same sentiment, so when my dad was diagnosed with a kidney disease, I challenged myself to take on a new role. 

Growing up with my mother’s cooking, my family was never short on delicious meals. My mom was always testing new recipes and perfecting old ones, so the kitchen was often filled with the aroma of Korean spices or baked goods. Later, as my brother and I became busy with our various sports and other extracurriculars, meals became our family’s main interaction. Eventually, I became fascinated with the cooking aspects of our meals. My mom would assign me the easiest jobs of stirring pots and occasionally, cutting vegetables. I felt a sense of control in the kitchen, and I longed to have the same “cooking instincts” as my mother. 

In 2022, we received bad news: my father had a rare kidney disease called IgG4. But the most devastating news came after his release from the hospital. Low sodium. Low protein. Low potassium. Low phosphorus. Images of unseasoned, bland, and colorless foods flashed through my mind. There was no way my dad’s foodie Korean soul could survive on this diet. And so, after a week of research, I found myself facing an empty kitchen with just a recipe and a sliver of confidence. The first recipe was wildly unsuccessful. The blueberry bread loaf was dense and undercooked, a product of my lack of expertise. I refused to let my family taste it, too ashamed of my failed attempt. I bristled with frustration, maybe this was not the role meant for me. 

Now, my mother still does most of the cooking in our household, though I find easier ways to help out. Sometimes I will make healthy snacks and leave them out on the counter for my family to find. Other times I will wash and plate fruit, just as my mother did for us growing up. Though I cannot bring happiness to my family through my food, I try my best to make life a little easier for us.


Comments

  1. Yan LOctober 19, 2023 at 12:55 PM

    Great essay! As someone who also loves food and tries to cook, I really related to sharing meals with family and failing to cook. I would suggest being more clear on what prompt you are replying to in the first paragraph as I felt it was unclear. I also think you can develop more in between you third and last paragraph as it felt rushed when you got frustrated and suddenly it became how you are making snacks and fruits.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Isaak KumarOctober 20, 2023 at 6:07 PM

    I really enjoyed reading your essay! As someone who took up cooking over COVID, I really relate to the frustration and determination you experienced when trying to cook something correctly. My one suggestion would be to refer to your prompt at the start of the blog, so we know what question you're answering.

    ReplyDelete

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