Category: Free Inquiry (Page 1 of 2)

Step aside Great Wall of China, move over Taj Mahal… there’s a new wonder in town and it’s covered in delicious sauceee. That’s right, pasta is the truest eighth wonder of the world. It’s versatile, delicious, and let’s be honest, the backbone of human civilization (probably). If loving pasta is wrong, I don’t want to be right. So, grab your fork, twirl your noodles (or stab them), and let’s embark on a carb-loaded journey to prove why pasta deserves a spot among history’s greatest achievements.

You know what I think is truly unifying? Pasta. It speaks to everyone, regardless of language, culture, or whether or not they can pronounce the noodle name (catch me messing up “casarecce” every time). From the silky strands of fettuccine to the perfect little pasta pockets of ravioli, there’s a shape, size, and sauce for every craving.

In a world obsessed with cutting carbs and counting calories, pasta stands tall as a beacon of joy. Should we feel guilty for indulging in a bowl (or three) of pasta? Absolutely not! Life is short, and pasta is delicious! Science even supports the fact that pasta makes people happier! Whether you’re stress-eating your way through deadlines or celebrating a win, pasta is always there for you. It’s the 👯‍♂️friend👯‍♂️ who never lets you down, the reliable 🦸‍♂️hero🦸‍♀️ of dinner time.

Pasta isn’t just a meal; it’s a lifestyle baby. Whether it’s sprinkled with parmesan (see below)

or bathed in creamy goodness

every bite takes you closer to pure bliss. 🥰🌸

And what about the power of leftovers? If you’ve never had next-day pasta straight out of the fridge while contemplating life choices, have you ever lived? The answer is no. Like can you imagine digging into this at 8am on a Saturday while you decide if you should do laundry or tuck up on the couch with a good book?

At the end of hte day, pasta is more than just food. It’s a cultural icon that will certainly be taking up large spot in my future cookbook. It’s comfort, it’s joy, it’s eternal life. So the next time someone tells you to skip the pasta, just smile and tell them “no regretti, just spaghetti!” …. or penne, or rigatoni, or linguini…

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with a plate of butternut squash and spicy Italian sausage shells 🥣!

Pasta la vista, babyyyy! 🍝

As the university semester is coming to a close, I find myself not only mentally drained but physically too. Long days and late nights of completing projects takes a toll on my energy and immunity. Sleep and exercise is great but what I fuel my body with is just if not even more important.

This week I decided to start turning towards one of the greatest sources of comfort and wellness… food! More specifically, I made a big ole batch of carrot ginger soup, a simple yet powerful dish packed with immunity-boosting ingredients.

Our bodies rely on proper nutrition to function optimally, and during stressful times, our immune system needs extra support. University life, with its tight deadlines and less-than-ideal eating habits, often means that students experience weakened immunity. The last thing I want at the end of the semester and right before practicum is a cold brought on by burnout!

Why Carrot Ginger Soup”?

The combo of CARROT + GINGER + GARLIC + TUMERIC + BONE BROTH = HEALTH!

Beyond its nutritional benefits, carrot ginger soup is warm, soothing and is perfect for a tired body. Even making the meal itself feels healing. Forcing myself to slow down and make a meal truly makes me feel better.

What I Learned

As I move forward, I want to keep this lesson in mind: when life gets overwhelming and I feel that burnout coming on, lean in to immunity boosting foods. Enjoy not only eating it but making it too!

Although it might look like baby food, I promise you that it smelt and tasted delicious!!

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After learning that you could create an AI generated podcast, I thought it would be fun to see what AI creates when I ask it to generate one about cooking. It was so cool to see what it created and honestly, the tips were pretty useful!

If one day I decide to make an online version of my recipe book, I think it would be fun to add something like this to it!

This is how I generated it:

And this was the outcome! Take a listen if you’re curious https://www.wondercraft.ai/e/pmxId6CO 😊🎤

So I started this quest with a LOT of lemons and an office that was open to trying allll the cakes.

Countless recipes claimed to be “the best” but I decided to put that decision title on the masses. So, I baked, and baked some more, and each version had its highs and lows. But after many cakes and happy colleagues, I found the winner!

🍋 Lemon Olive Oil Cake! 🍋

and here is a pic of the ultimate winner! YUM!

The recipe didn’t call for a lemon zest cream cheese icing but who could say no to that! 🍋

Have you ever found yourself in the grocery store stoked about a sale? Well, here I was, happy with a bargain and now the proud owner of several jars of sun-dried tomatoes.

I love sun-dried tomatoes but after the second jar and recipe from my mind, I realized I should spice this up and find some other inspiration. Soooo… I turned to TikTok!

Pinterest is usually great, but there’s something about TikTok’s quick, no-nonsense approach to cooking inspiration that makes finding a recipe so easy. Within minutes of searching “sun-dried tomato recipes”, i had a flood of delicious possibilities.

Here are some of the yummiest ones I came across.

@adam.floatinghome

Anything with sundries tomatoes is a yes from me #easydinner #vegetarian #cooking #beans #easyrecipe #boatlife

♬ Driving by (Lofi) – Muspace

@beyondthenoms

Creamy chicken with sundried tomatoes and spinach! #sundriedtomatoes #creamychicken

♬ original sound – Jenny Lin

@chefvannee

Go make it right now 💅😌 #pesto #sundriedtomatoes

♬ original sound – Chef Vanessa

This was such a fun little adventure. I tried all 3 of these recipes! What it reminded me was that an ingredient can be the star of a delightful addition to a dish. It was so fun letting my pantry dictate my menu – keeping me from falling into the same kind of cooking rut. TikTok certainly saved the day from repeating the same recipes.

Now it’s time to try some sun-dried tomato & feta dip!! (See video below)

@dishedbykate

2 ingredients + 2 minutes to make this v creamy sundried tomato feta dip? Yes please!! #easyrecipes #dips #whippedfeta

♬ Aesthetic – Tollan Kim

Thinking Deeper on My Guiding Questions

Why do I want to create a recipe book?

• I want to create a recipe book as a personal keepsake, a way to document my favourite meals, and be able to share it with my friend, family, and future family. I enjoy cooking and want to organize my go-to recipes in one place. Additionally, I want to be pushed to try new things that can become a part of my regular circuit of recipes.

What kind of recipes will I include?

• I would like to include a mix of personal creations and sources recipes that I’ve adapted or love. I also want to include some family recipes that hold meaning to me (like my favourite baked goodies from my Mum). I would like the book to reflect my style of cooking!

Will I focus mainly on cooking, or will I include baking recipes too?

• Even though I enjoy cooking more, I also have some favourite baking recipes I would like to mark down! I want to make sure the book feels cohesive and special to me rather than trying to cover everything.

How am I going to organize the recipes?

• I’m thinking that I will organize them by meal type (appetizers, mains, desserts) or by occasion (quick meals, comfort food, crowd-pleasers). I want the layout to make it easy to find something based on what I’m in the mood to cook!

How many recipes do I want to include?

• I’ll start with a manageable number – maybe 25? I don’t want to get overwhelmed but if I am really enjoying it, I’ll continue to expand!

The reasons I have decided to start my own recipe book is because I want to explore my own personal connection to food, experiment with new recipes, play around with my creativity, and enjoy sharing these new creations with friends and family.

I feel it is necessary to come up with some questions that I can use to focus myself in following through with this inquiry project. Here are some of those guiding questions:

• Why do I wan to create a recipe book? (e.g., personal keepsake, family traditions, sharing with friends, do I want to publish this in the future?)
• What kind of recipe will I include? Family recipes, sourced recipes or personal creations?
• Will I focus mainly on cooking or will I include baking recipes too?
• How am I going to organize the recipes? By meal, category, difficulty?
• How many recipes do I want to include?
• Are there any recipes or ingredients that intimidate me?
• How will I choose what gets to be put into the recipe book vs. not?
• What skills do I hope to develop through this process?
• Will I include photos of my creations?
• How will I measure success?

Although I don’t yet have all the answers to these questions (and maybe I won’t until the end!), I have definitely gotten the wheels in my head turning and I am now very excited to begin!

“I hate to notion of a secret recipe. Recipes are by nature derivative and meant to be shared – that is how they improve, are changed, how new ideas are formed. To stop a recipe in it’s tracks, to label it secret just seems mean.”

Molly Wizenberg

The open-endedness of this project left me with A LOT of thinking. Typically, we do not have this much autonomy in choosing our project topics and it honestly was a bit stressful having to decide what to focus on.

Some of the questions I asked myself were:

• What do I want to learn more about?
• What activities or hobbies excite me?
• What have you not put time into but been meaning to?

After I sat with this for a little bit I decided that cooking & baking are something that not only brings me joy but are skills that I want to develop.

So what was going to be my Inquiry Quest? I decided that I wanted to create my very own RECIPE BOOK!

When I initially think of cooking & baking, this is what my brain fills with…