[PARSONS ASSIGNMENT] INTERVIEW: Cooking With Abigail

Living on my own has definitely encouraged me to explore new recipes and look forward to experimenting in the kitchen. This also heightens my senses when my roommates are cooking their meals after class or work as well. We are all of different cultures, and our tastes when it comes to food couldn’t be any more different. Some of us like spice, others cannot stand spicy food, some substitute taste for healthiness, others just want to shove any kind of food in our mouths after a long day (..no, really)!

This weekend I caught up with my roommate Abigail and we had ‘kitchen table talk’. I watch her cook her meal, and I throw questions her way while she is cooking and take photos of the process. Bubbly and excited, Abigail takes out her favorite pot to use and gets started after laying out all of her ingredients.

Originally from the Philippines, Abigail likes to cook meals from back home and if she cooks meals that are American, she incorporates Filipino flavor. Her favorite food here in NY is pizza, and her favorite meal to cook is chicken and rice.

Below is a photo of Abigail and 2 dishes that she has made this week, one while we were conversing.

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What is your favorite meal to cook, and how long does it take you to prep and cook it?

My favorite meal to cook is pasta! I love pasta with Alfredo sauce, or tomato sauce. I like to cook linguine or rotini pasta by Barilla. It takes me like 30 to 45 minutes to cook.

What is your favorite recipe that you’ve found online to use in the kitchen?

I am from the Phillipines and back home I love to cook spicy chicken. I would bake it and it was really easy to make. I love spicy food so this is definitely one of my favorite meals to cook. I found this recipe on a Filipino site but I don’t remember the name of the website.

What seasonings are your must have??

I use soy sauce, garlic powder, spanish parika, chili powder, pepper, salt, dice onion seasoning. It is all I use!!

Baking or frying?

I prefer baking!!

Virgin Olive Oil, Corn Oil, Vegetable Oil?? What type of oil do you use?!

I love virgin olive oil, but now I use corn oil.

Do you enjoy leftovers or do you only cook enough for one meal at a time?

I LOVE left overs. I usually come back home from work at 6 PM every day and I like to make enough to last me a day or two so that I can eat my left overs in the morning or for dinner the next day. It makes life so much easier.

How many times do you cook in one week vs. ordering out?

I cook 3 times a week, and I don’t order out at home I order out at the office and if I have left over food from work I’ll bring it home to eat for dinner.

You told me back home that you’re potentially starting a brick oven pizza business, can you tell me a little bit more about the process and how that came about?

I went to different restaurants that have brick oven pizzas. I did my research as these businesses because they will be my future competition. I want to improve what is out there and make it more innovative. I really love pizza and it would be a dream to have my own business back home that is a brick oven pizzeria. This is still in the works so I can’t speak too much about it.

How long have your been cooking and is it a hobby of yours?

I started cooking when I was about 12 years old. I enjoy it, but I wouldn’t consider it a hobby.

As a college student and a young adult, do you like warming up, ordering out or cooking?

I would prefer to cook. The easier the meal prep and the shorter time it takes to cook the better. I barely have time to cook but I’m committed to eating healthy and trying new things. I need to save money as well.

If you could go online to a blog that researches all types of recipes found online that are great for college students on the go, and notes the ingredients, calories, serving amount, time and the outcome of the recipe for you would you visit that blog? Would that be a good solution for college students that want to eat healthier and learn how to cook for themselves but don’t have the skill maybe or the time? 

I would love that. It would make it easier to see the amount of calories that go into my meal and it would save me time.