Cholent is a staple in every Jewish household. It originates from the Middle East and has become a standard meal made on Shabbat. In the 9th century the invention of Cholent was created. The prohibitory laws on Shabbat forbid kindling a fire. So these Jews decided to go to the bakery before Shabbat and place raw ingredients in a pot. They would have the oven already on and slow cook the stew through the night until after synagogue services the next morning. This ingenious strategy not only introduced the first “crock pot”, but also avoided any violation of Jewish law. From then on Cholent spread like a wild fire and embedded itself across different continents due to its popularity. Until this day Cholent is a popular food on Shabbat. My father has his own secret Cholent recipe, shared with no one, which he obsesses over. But what actually is Cholent? Cholent is a stew primarily made up of beans, barley, flanken meat, potatoes and water. Based on what I saw my father do in the kitchen I believe he adds in other special ingredients such as salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and bbq sauce, but each individual has their own unique array of ingredients. Depending on where and when you lived the tradition of your Cholent recipe varies. In Morocco and Spain they would add rice,chickpeas and eggs and in different parts of Tunisia they would add lamb and artichoke. 

The recipe I would like to present is a classic Ashkenazi (European Jews) recipe. The first step is to place 2 yellow onions and 2 potatoes at the bottom of your crock pot. Then season your stew meat(2 lb) with salt and pepper and place it in the pot on top of the onions. Following that pour 1/2 cup of kidney beans and 1 cup of barley into the pot with a tablespoon of paprika, a teaspoon of cumin, a teaspoon of turmeric and a teaspoon of chili powder. Then if you prefer a sweeter Cholent add 2 tablespoons of honey. Afterwards, pour water on the raw ingredients until the beans are fully covered. Set the crock pot timer to at least 8 hours and wait until the next morning. You will wake up to the smell of your fresh savory Cholent. As a kid I remember waking up to the smell of the strong spices and a steamy house on Shabbat morning. It gave me a feeling of comfort, reminding me that today is no ordinary day, but a holiday(Shabbat). It’s become nostalgic for me. Even as a freshman in college it still gives me an unconscious feeling of warmth, joy and belonging. A sense of belonging to my culture, religion and heritage and I hope once you smell and finish your Cholent you will have a similar response.

Ingredients:

• 2 yellow onions
• 2 small potatoes
• 2lbs of flanken meat
• 1 cup barley
• 1⁄2 cup kidney beans
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1⁄2 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 tablespoons honey(optional)
• 3-4 cups of water
• Salt and pepper to taste

Greetings class! I’ll be your chef for the day. Unfortunately, if spice isn’t your friend, you might need to sit this one out. Today, I’m bringing you a dish that has fueled me through overnight study sessions and kept me more awake than any energy drinks. Before I announce the star of the day, let’s grab our VIPIs (very important personal ingredients) for this masterpiece.

We’ll need
– peeled 2 small garlic cloves
– 1/2 teaspoon salt
– 1/2 teaspoon sugar (you deserve a little sweetness after the bitterness of life’s deadlines)
– 2 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla yae)
– 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
– 1 tablespoon dry-roasted salted peanuts
– 1 tablespoon dried shrimp
– 2 sliced fresh chilies (depends on your spice tolerance)
– 3 cherry tomatoes
– 1 green (unripe) papaya
– Lettuce for decoration (stomach eats with eyes first)

I was going to ask for a drumroll for the announcement for this dish but if you’re a fan of Thai cuisine, it is no surprise that it is the legendary Som Tom, the green papaya salad. If you’re not a fan, I’m introducing you to my secret weapon that is packed with sweet, sour, and spicy flavors when Red Bull, Celsius, or even cold brew has failed me.

Class, you see, after a certain point of drinking excessive amounts of caffeine, it starts to lose its effect. Yep, I think I’m immune. But, Som Tum? Never lets me down. Something about that sharp tang of lime with the hint of salt and the fiery kick of the spiciness jolts me back to life. Most people would know how parents usually bring fruits when their children are up at night studying, such as watermelon, grapes, bananas, or maybe a nice orange papaya…Well, mine’s a papaya, too. It’s just not ripe. Sorry class, I’m supposed to teach you guys how to cook, not recall the top ten hardest life moments.

Let’s dive in. First, we’ll need to shred the papaya. This unripe papaya will be tough as it is still unripe. It’s like a rebellious friend who never shows up to class. We’ll need to thin it down into strips and put it aside in a bowl. Next, we have to crush the garlic and sprinkle in salt since salt is like the friend that incorporates the sass in life that you didn’t know you needed. Then, we’ll throw this mixture into a blender and add in the dried shrimp which is optional, but they’re like the bougie cousins who show up when you want to feel fancy. Once they’re all mixed into a paste, transfer them into a larger bowl. This is when the peanuts and the shredded chilies who are the friends that bring the crunch and drama to your life will be thrown in the bowl. 2 tablespoons of lime juice and 2 tablespoons of fish sauce will be mixed and followed into the big bowl. Then, our sweet-talker friend who always makes sure everything is balanced, sugar, will join the party. Finally, toss in the washed tomatoes and the out-casted rebellious shredded papaya into the big bowl and mix it all up together. The papaya will definitely have a character development as the mixture is going on, soaking in all the flavors around them as it finally becomes the main character. Overall, lay the mixture on some lettuce for that “I’ve got it together” look, even if you absolutely do not.

There we have it, Som Tum, the dish that is ultimately my lifesaver at night. I hope everyone also enjoys the dish and remember: spice is temporary, but GPA is forever. Kind of.

I’m going to be completely transparent with anyone who’s reading this; I cannot cook at all. The closest thing I’ve come to “cooking” was using the microwave to make some oatmeal. But if there’s one thing I do know how to do really well, it’s swim. This article is just going to be an extensive breakdown of one of the forms I love to do most, which is freestyle. Typically, when people think of swimming they associate it with the summer; more specifically with pools and the beach. But let’s say as you were reading this, you and everyone within a 10 foot span of you fall into the ocean (within 20 feet of the shore). It doesn’t matter what you’re doing or where you are, you just plummet into the water. How many people do you think would survive? Would you be able to bring yourself to safety? Obviously this hypothetical situation is in no way plausible, but when you think about it, it really puts things into a broader perspective on how many people know how to swim. Swimming is something learned, and in my opinion it is an art that always has room for more practice. In a more literal term, it is a series of physical motions we adopt through countless lessons, engraving the repetitiveness of each and every movement into our minds so that we may be able to glide across bodies of water without trouble. I’m going to provide you with a detailed description on how to get each motion downpact so you don’t drown in 6 feet of water. As you’re reading this you’re probably thinking, “what makes this girl so qualified to write a manual on how to swim??” I can start off by saying I know what it’s like to not be able to swim.

The first time I entered a body of water deeper than the kitchen sink was at the age of 3, where I had started taking swimming lessons at YMCA. Just to preface, at the age of 3 I had no concept of how to swim, so when my instructor shoved me without warning (I’m not exaggerating) off a diving board into a 13 foot pool–moments prior I had been hysterical from even stepping foot onto the diving board itself– I fell into an unprecedented panic. I had absolutely no survival instincts, and pure hysteria just set in as I proceeded to thrash around, flailing my limbs as I simultaneously engulfed mouthfuls of the chlorine filtered water which burned my throat, nostrils, and eyes. I held onto the notion that as long as I made a big enough scene, someone would come save me. This proved to be futile once I realized there were dozens of people staring directly at me, but cheering me on as if it was a good thing I was practically drowning. I had no savior, so at some point I started doggy paddling to the end and eventually made it to the other side of the pool. This of course was very traumatizing, but I didn’t let it deter me from perfecting my craft. I proceeded to take swimming lessons for the next 9 years, then joined a swim team for 3 more up until COVID hit. There were a lot of instances throughout all these years where I found myself in a body of water whether it was during practice, on vacation, or in a community pool nearby. Enough about me and my history of swimming though, I need to start on explaining how to actually swim.

The first essential piece of advice I can give to you as you learn is to stay calm. I know it sounds cliche (and a bit hypocritical from my end based on what you just read) but you freaking out about drowning when you have licensed people trained to save you in case of anything is a bit unnecessary. Now, what do you think of when you imagine someone swimming freestyle? It looks like kicking and moving your arms but it’s much more than that. You need to have the ability to maintain composure in a uniformed state, but simultaneously remind yourself that it is also fluid; everything comes together in order for you to actually propel yourself in the water. Rather than putting all these motions together at once on your first try, the best thing to do is to take it one step at a time. You can start out by sitting on the pool deck, with your legs hanging into the water. Here we can practice kicking, more formally known as flutter kicks. This is where you keep your legs ridged, your knees locked, toes pointed, and subtly kicking  with both feet interchangeably in and out of the water. Once you feel you have a decent form, it’s time to get in the water. At this point, you can hold onto the wall with both hands and your arms outstretched, keeping your body elongated–legs together–while holding onto the wall. One of the most important things about swimming is that you keep your head parallel to the floor of the pool; as you swim you need to be looking straight down otherwise you WILL sink or just semi-float really awkwardly which feels and looks uncomfortable. Another thing I need to add is you need to have your arms above your ears as you have your head in the water looking straight down. This is where we start to add up the few things we learned so far.

Whilst holding onto the wall with our arms outstretched, we can begin to kick–remember to keep your legs straight and toes pointed–and keep your head straight down as you do so. Another important thing to remember is to not hold your breath, you have to exhale out your nose under the water or you’re going to end up passing out. Obviously at some point you have to come up for air because nobody can hold their breath for that long (unless that’s like your party trick or something idk) but how do we do that? The most common mistake people make is exploding their head out of the water, gasping for air like they just woke up from a coma. If you remember the first piece of advice I gave, this is the last thing you should be doing. Instead, you should turn your head to the left or right, exposing your nose and mouth just enough out of the water to suck in a bit of air. You don’t want to be greedy with it; don’t engulf all the air, just take a little quick inhale (through your mouth, not your nose because you might inhale water if you try to do so with your nose) and place your head back in the water looking straight down as you continue your flutter kicks. After mastering these few steps simultaneously, it is time to work on the arm strokes. Take your arms and point straight up, palms facing forward and fingers together. Now you are going to join hands, with one on top of the other. At this point you should have a triangular shape in the space between both arms and the top of your head. Separate your right arm from your left–unhinging it at your elbow– and while cupping your hand scoop your arm downwards towards the right side of your upper body unhinging at your elbow. Once you have your hand dangling by your chest, make an outward circular motion meeting your right hand back to your left. You are now going to do everything I just said but now with the left side. Now you know how to do the arm strokes. But how do you incorporate breathing? It’s simple, you move your head with your arm. So if you’re doing a right arm stroke, you look to the right for your breaths and place your head back in the water as you complete the arm stroke. The same goes for the left side. You now know all the fundamentals of swimming. Now by keeping your legs rigid, your arms fluid, your head controlled, and your mind calm, you will know how to swim.

Swimming to me personally though is more than all these things combined. It is a part of me, a part of my identity and something I almost always bring up when I’m questioned about who I am. It’s something I take pride in, and it comes with many benefits on top of just being impressive. The water itself is almost therapeutic; it brings me peace by providing me a physical space where I am able to exist in the moment without having to worry about the past or future. In the past, I often retreated to swimming any time I had something on my mind, or I just took advantage of the times I was mandated to swim, and poured all my energy and emotion into the action of swimming itself. I find it much more effective than any other stress relieving technique offered to me. It’s also just physically helpful because you’re practically using every part of your body to commit to one continuous fluid motion. I hope after reading this you have some idea of how to swim and how important it can impact your life.

Who does not like to have dessert (once in a while)? Well today, I will be telling you about one of my favorite cultural desserts known as Kheer. Many people may know this as rice pudding since it’s almost the same thing, but kheer has a sort of unique taste to it which you could only recognize once you have tried it. The good thing about kheer is that you can eat it both hot and cold, and it will taste good either way. In winter, eating warm kheer will help you relax and feel comfortable. While this recipe does not have many ingredients, it still requires a lot of patience and hard work to make. Every time this was made in my family, I would eat the leftovers for many days because it lasts for a long time and the fresh taste remains as the days pass. 

 So, this recipe originates from South Asia around 2000 years ago and has both religious and cultural significance. The tradition describes how Krishna disguised himself as an old man and challenged a king to a chess match. The old man placed a bet with the king stating that he should owe him a grain of rice for every square of the chessboard. However, there was one small catch which was that the grain of rice would multiply with the previous square. At the end, the old man ended up with trillions of grains of rice that the king owed him. Krishna reveals himself and instead of forcing the king to pay, he creates a tradition where kheer should be served to anyone that entered the temple, without any payment. In addition to the religious aspect, culturally kheer was immensely popular during the time that the British ruled in the Indian Subcontinent.  

Now you may wonder how rice pudding can have any significance? Isn’t it just a simple recipe which requires little time? Many people may think this, but I believe that the significance actually comes from the effort that is required. While making the kheer, you must keep stirring the rice with the milk or else everything will burn. This can get very tiring and will make some people want to quit. Personally, this reminds me of the effort that is required in life. While some people may believe that life is simple and everything will be handed to them, I am reminded that you cannot achieve anything without working towards it. Also, life is something that requires patience and trust in yourself without quitting. Effort and hard work is required for everything that you want to achieve and that is the only way that people may become successful. In addition to this, when kheer is prepared it is always something that you give to your family and extended family such as your relatives. This also reminds me that once you achieve something that requires hard work, you never forget about the people that were with you from the beginning and always share your success with them.  

Now let’s finally get to the recipe: 

You will need: 

• Basmati rice 

• Milk 

• Sugar 

• Cardamom powder 

• Chopped almonds, cashews, and pistachios (optional) 

(Ingredients are based off preference but make sure to have more milk than rice or it will become too thick) 

Steps:  

• Rince your rice a couple of times in water and then soak it for 30 minutes 

• Boil the rice on medium heat until the consistency is very soft 

• On a separate pot add milk and let it boil on low heat 

• Add cardamom powder to the milk while it boils 

• Add the rice to the boiling milk and mix while it cooks 

• Stir for 30 minutes in intervals 

• When the consistency becomes more thicker, add sugar  

• Keep stirring in intervals for 30 more minutes 

• Once the consistency becomes thick, add crushed nuts (optional) 

• When it starts bubbling on low heat, turn off the heat and let it cool 

• Now it is ready to serve 

• Add more nuts for garnishing (optional) 

Can be served hot or refrigerated! 

Everyone has their own way of managing the stresses of daily life, whether it’s through listening to music, taking long walks, or indulging in a good book. For me, baking serves as a personal therapy session, offering a comforting escape from reality. Baking is a controlled and rewarding activity that never feels overwhelming and consistently delivers delightful results. From the enticing aroma wafting from the oven to the creative joy of crafting my own desserts, baking always brings me happiness and soothes my nerves. I enjoy experimenting with various treats and adding my personal touch, from cinnamon cupcakes to puddings. Yet, one dessert stands out as my ultimate comfort: the chocolate and vanilla marble cake.

Before diving into making the batter, I always ensure my workspace—usually the kitchen table—is clear and organized. I clear away any clutter that might disturb my flow, creating a neat, calm environment. Next, I gather all the utensils I’ll need for my baking extravaganza: two large bowls—one for chocolate and one for vanilla—my measuring cups, spoons, electric mixer, and spatula. I carefully lay out the bowls side by side, making sure everything is in its proper place. Then, it’s time to bring out the essentials: the ingredients. Here’s what I need:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup milk
• 4 large eggs
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 ½ cups cocoa powder

I begin with the vanilla cake, using half of the total ingredients for each batter. First, I whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in one bowl. In a separate bowl, I beat the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, using the electric mixer. Then, I add the eggs and vanilla extract to the mixture. Afterward, I gradually fold in the dry ingredients, alternating with milk, until fully combined. Of course, I always do a taste test at this point—I like my batter extra sweet, so I might add more sugar or vanilla until it’s just right. Satisfied, I scoop a little batter for a quick snack, my small indulgence while the rest bakes.

Next, I repeat the same process for the chocolate batter, mixing in the cocoa powder until everything is fully incorporated. With both batters ready, I prepare two loaf pans by spreading a thin layer of butter inside. Using two large spoons, I alternate adding scoops of vanilla and chocolate batter into each pan. Once both pans are filled, it’s time for my favorite part: creating the marble effect. Using a butter knife, I swirl the batters in each pan, making intricate designs that always help me unwind. Finally, I pop the pans into the oven and bake them for about 45 minutes.

When the delicious aroma of chocolate and vanilla fills the kitchen, I know the cakes are ready. I slice into one, revealing the beautiful marble pattern inside. This moment always calms my nerves, as if the sight of the cake alone is a breath of fresh air. Baking this marble cake not only helps me destress but has also brought wonderful memories—like family trips and tea-time bonding sessions where my cake takes center stage. I remember last summer at Lake George, we shared laughs over card games and my marble cake. Though small, this dessert has brought a sense of calm and connection, soothing my mind while fostering moments of joy with my loved ones.

Fish! My parents were raised on it since fish is the one thing that is overabundant in Bangladesh, in addition to rice, tea, and people. Whether it be itty-bitty fish turned into shutki (dried fish) or large catfish, there were always at least two to three fish dishes every day of the week. Something expensive like chicken or beef was bought when someone was coming to visit, but the one thing that always was on the table was some sort of fish. So you can only imagine how confused my parents were when they immigrated to the States in the early 2000s to find the opposite to be true here. Some of the fish they loved from Bangladesh they couldn’t even find and ones they could easily source like Rui (Rohu) or Ilish (Hilsa) were super expensive or looked so different from native breeds my Mom would say they were a different fish altogether. For those reasons my Brother and I grew up to be very picky around fish, we hated it for all the bones involved and felt like it smelled horrible and would always prefer having a chicken, turkey, or beef dish over it.

My Mom understood in many parts and adapted to it since she’d rather her kids eat something, even if it meant changing her diet habits. As we grew up and began to cook on our own, she started cooking fish more and more often for just her and my Father, while we made something separate like chicken coconut curry for ourselves. It wasn’t until a day when I got sick of making the same chicken, turkey, and beef rotation for my Brother and me that I felt like finally trying to cook and eat fish just to escape the plainness of our routine. My Mom went with me that day to our local fish market and decided that she would teach me how to pick out fish, just like how she had taught me everything else about cooking from which of our pans to use for what, which seasonings did what, how much she usually used, what oil to use, and everything else that comes with cooking. That’s not to say everything my Mom did is what I do now, I cook in some ways she disapproves of and I disapprove of some of the ways she cooks as well. We ended up picking fresh tilapia filets since the whole fishes were scaring me senseless with their cloudy beady eyes and floppy wet lips. You can use whatever fish you want though! 

The things you will need though at a minimum:

• Your Fish of Choice (I recommend skinless & bone-free)
• Lal Mirch (Lal Mirch)
• Jeera Powder (Cumin)
• Dhaniya Powder (Coriander)
• HoludPowder (Turmeric)
• Shorshe seeds (Mustard)
• Ginger & Garlic (Powder, Paste, Etc)
• Butter/Olive Oil

There aren’t any exact measurements for these ingredients since they’ve never been measured in my house, just half a cap or random spoonfuls. It’s kind of like a game of guess-check where you add or subtract things according to what you think is best, especially since this recipe is often modified based on the amount, type, or general taste of the fish. If you have no clue you can try and cheat a bit by asking Google the “common,” amount of seasoning suggested for your exact amount, but I think the best way to do this recipe justice as well as learn the art of cooking is to just try it out and use your intuition. 

Now do as follows:

1. Preheat your oven first to around 400° F.  (I find baking the best method for fish since you keep all the delicious juices in it + you’re less likely to burn the fish/seasonings on it! It’s also technically the most traditional since my Mom’s family usually used a tandoor which is an oven made of clay)
2. Next, find a tray or oven-safe container where you can bake your fish. You can line the tray with parchment paper or aluminum foil for a quick cleanup, but begin to add some olive oil/melted butter to the bottom of it to keep your fish from sticking to it.
3. Mix around a tablespoon of each powdered seasoning, and around 5 mustard seeds for each pound of fish you have in a bowl. Add a tablespoon of ginger/garlic paste (extra great if you made it yourself!), or otherwise around 1 tablespoon of garlic and ginger powders respectively. 
4. Now coat each filet of your fish on each side with the seasoning mix and a bit of water so it all sticks well on it. Lay out your fish so none of it touches each other on your tray.
5. Spray/Drizzle the top of all your fish with some melted butter or olive oil. You can optionally add some extra red chili powder for color and flavor or perhaps lemon slices.
6. Now leave it to cook for 8-10 minutes per inch of thickness of the filet in the oven. Serve over rice when done and enjoy!

I hope you’ll enjoy my semi-traditional Bengali fish recipe! Let it become yours and hopefully, it’ll taste wonderful!

“Can I get a venti chai tea?” A phrase that I’m sure everyone has heard if not utilized at least once in their life. Well, what exactly is “chai tea”. According to a simple google search it is nothing more than just “a spiced tea beverage that typically includes…” and the boring but flavorful list of ingredients begins.

Now my definition of Chai tea is one that is much more complex than the boring google definition. To understand my definition, we must first understand the phrase “Chai tea” itself. Now the word “chai” is a word in Hindi and Urdu that simply means tea. So, the phrase “chai tea” simply translates to “tea tea”. Doesn’t that sound a bit flawed? Since the phrase itself is flawed the meaning behind it must be flawed! Or does it?

Well, this definition is perfectly fine on paper, but the beverage chai holds much more meaning behind it. The true significance of chai comes from the process of making but more so drinking it. Since we are discussing the process of making chai you must be wondering what ingredients we need. Well for our purposes let’s keep it a simple but flavorful recipe of chai. The type of chai we will be focusing on is called “dudh pati” which translates to “milk leaf tea.” As the name suggests, the only ingredients you need it is milk and tea leaves!

Now how do we make this chai. It is quite simple so all you need to do is throw in a few teabags in boiling hot milk, stir and that’s the chai right there, enjoy! That once again is something that is simple and straight basically has no life to it. How do we bring life to this chai? Well grab a cup of milk or I’d rather say two. This will make more sense later, just trust the process. Throw the milk in a pot let it boil and once it starts boiling grab 3-4 teabags and throw it in the pot. What teabags you may be asking? Honestly it could be any company from an South Asian supermarket but personally I’d recommend “Tapal Danedar”. Why this company specifically will also make sense later. Now you let the milk with the teabags boil and keep a keen eye on it. If you happen to look away now you have a boiling hot mess rather than a nice hot cup of chai. Let the milk boil while stirring. If the milk begins to rise don’t worry this is a part of the process keep calm and follow my instructions.

When the milk begins to boil just take a spoon or honestly anything to scoop the milk up with while being able to stir. So, with this instrument of choice scoop up some of the milk and pour it back in this way the milk doesn’t boil over. Or you can move the pot away from the flame for 5 seconds or so watch the milk cool down and put it back over the flame all while stirring. Somewhere during this process, you can add sugar if desired. The amount I’d recommend is 2-3 teaspoons, but this varies on personal choice. Once the milk has reached a light milky brown pigment your chai is ready. Pour this into the two cups which originally had just the milk, and now your chai is ready to enjoy.

You may be wondering, why two cups? This is the part that nobody really mentions and honestly this is where all the meaning in this beverage comes from. So, there is a slogan from the company “Tapal Daneder” hence why I recommended this company specifically. This slogan is “tum mei aur ek cup chai” which literally translates to “you me and one cup tea.” The significance behind this slogan is that it refers to the deeper meaning behind chai. Chai isn’t meant to be enjoyed alone but it is rather meant to be enjoyed with someone and that someone can be anyone you love spending time with whether that is a family member, a neighbor, a friend, or a very close friend. Now you grab a person of your choice offer them a cup of chai and enjoy it but further enjoy the conversation and quality time this chai has provided you with!

I’ll be honest with you. I never understood the idea of taking more than forty minutes to make breakfast. It’s breakfast. If you asked me, it doesn’t need to be fancy, doesn’t need to be Michelin star, it just needs to be tasty and be enough to keep away hunger until your next meal. Of course my opinion on this matter is likely why my breakfasts never seem, sincere—for lack of a better word, anyways. It’s usually just whatever at the local Fay Da Bakery to be honest. But when I do have the time to cook myself a breakfast, it’s usually the same thing I always cook for breakfast because, well, its simple, its quick, and I’ve never really been a picky eater.

Fried rice is something that you’d find in many different cultures across the world, and the Philippines is no exception. From Sinangag, garlic fried rice, to Aligue rice, which is made with crab fat, and more that I probably can’t pronounce properly. But if there’s one thing that all those different dishes have in common, it’s that to a degree, they’re complex.

The fried rice I make is not. It is by all means a simple dish. It is a simple dish because we already live with enough complexity. Whenever my parents cooked, they never did anything over the top. Sure, they would make meals from recipes that probably had over fifteen different ingredients, but more often than not they’d just throw something into a pot or into a pan and eyeballed it. There is no complexity in that.

My fried rice recipe is special to me because it’s simple. Rice, meat, vegetables, seasoning, that’s all you really need. There is no hour long prep time before you even turn on the stove, no digging for that new bottle of cooking wine you bought three days ago. It is a recipe that takes you through a process that is no more than is written.

I also don’t have measurements on the recipe because my tastes are not the same as yours. Simple doesn’t mean same, it just means simple. What type of vegetables? Your preference. What type of meat? Your preference. What type of rice? Your preference. There is nothing over the top needed, nothing demanding, because breakfast should not be demanding.

When ever I make this fried rice dish I feel a sense of control over it that often seems to be missed in every day life, because no matter how much our lives are ours, we are never fully in control of the events that occur within it. However, cooking is different. When I make fried rice, I choose what I put in it, what I cook it in, where I cook it. It’s just me, the stove, and what’s going to be my breakfast. That fact is what I love about simple recipes, what I love about my fried rice recipe. No thoughts, no struggle. Just a good breakfast that one can eat before taking on the day.

Ingredients

• Day old rice
• Cooking oil(your preference)
• Meat(Your preference)
• Vegetables(your preferance)
• Garlic(powder or clove)
• Ground black pepper
• Dark Soy(or regular)sauce(or none if you don’t want to add it)
• Fish sauce(optional)
• Any spices of your choosing

Measurements are to your preference. Remove anything your allergic too(obviously)

Instructions

1. Set the stove to high heat.
2. Put just enough oil on a pan to coat the surface.
3. If the meat of your choosing is raw, cook the meat first. Cook the meat to your preference. If your meat is precooked or you’r not adding meat, skip this step.
4. Add day old rice to the pan. Cook until you hear a light simmer from the rice.
5. Add precooked meat, garlic, and vegetables of your preference. Stir them into the rice thoroughly.
6. Add dark soy sauce and fish sauce. Stir thoroughly until the simmer gets louder
7. Add black pepper/spice of your choosing. Stir thoroughly. Cook until the rice fully browns from the sauces

The classic omelet is nothing short of a masterpiece. For most people, it is a morning essential as it is filled with protein, easy to make, and relatively efficient for those with a busy schedule. However, the omelet holds an artistic trait in its ability to be treated like a canvas. The bare-boned yellow hashed dish can be coated and stuffed with ingredients that give your pallet life. For those who feel they want a true triple Michelin star dish, topping the dish off with a new garnish or herb and building the omelet in the style of a cylindrical shape may create the exact level of sophistication you are looking for. Perhaps the omelet is perfect in itself and only a few spices and a set cooking time is required to make the perfect dish. On the contrary, drowning your omelet in hash browns, mushrooms, sauces, and spices may support the consistency of your meal to your liking. No matter how unique or common, robust or flexible, fluid or sharp your cooking style may be, the egg reciprocates its appreciation for your style with an artistic dish known as the omelet.

Despite eggs being a part of almost all my breakfasts, I have fallen out of love for the original taste. Having eggs almost daily has drained my taste buds to the point where a simple omelet appears revolting.

My mom and dad have both made omelets for me my entire life that have been prepared with the internal gooey cheese and slightly crispy exterior that I love. Sided with classic Eastern European style brown bread (черный хлеб) and cucumbers (огурцы) with black tea and milk, my breakfast was complete. However, this meal repeated daily for years with very little variation created a bland feeling for my taste buds, and would later translate into distaste. I attempted to alter the sides, but the problem lay in my true canvas; the omelet. I had grown to lack appreciation for my canvas, so when it was my time to cook, I tried replicating the creativity of my parents. The phrase “my dish was cooked with love” usually refers to the failures, altercations, and pure dedication put into a dish. With that being said, my dish really did need an original source of love, but it had to do with my growth. My creativity needed to lie in my journey of growth, an ever-changing pallet, and the will to accept a new style.

For this recipe, you will need eggs. The omelet’s foundation is built upon the humble egg which we will manipulate to our preferred taste. We can’t be too careless with our work as creativity doesn’t allow for sloppiness, so when cracking the eggs, we make sure to leave out any part of the shell. The more egg you add, the thicker your omelet will be. Make sure to pour enough milk into your bowl of raw egg so that the hue of your canvas becomes a little lighter and the taste of your dish is a little creamier. I never used a whisk when making my dish because my parents never used whisks when they were younger. They got used to the fork-beat eggs that they had made before they immigrated to the US. The stirring is complete once there are no lumps or large discolorations in the bowl.

The heart of my omelet and my canvas lies in the ingredients I place inside. The slightly bitter, tarty skins of the tomato and the juice that soaks into the yellow soul of my dish dignifies my style. To represent myself in my dish, I need my statement. The tomato is the statement as it allows for parts of the omelet to keep its original nature while leaving bites in my meal that pack a punch in my mouth. Of course, there needs to be a balance. Too many tomatoes cut into heavy pieces will cause the omelet to fall apart and become a soup. The tomato cannot consume the dish, it must work with it. The tomato cannot consume who you are but supplement your ever-changing nature. The cheese is representative of the outside factors we can’t control. The fridge only has Colby jack, Cheddar, Mozzarella, or Harvarti at one time; we need to work with what we have. Take the cheese of your choice and break it into small pieces with your hands. For the final stroke of our brush, we will add the scallions. Scallions are dangerous; they are bold, consuming in nature, and leave you with bad breath. Accept the scallions’ ability to be controlling in your dish, and appreciate it for its nature. Control the stroke of your brush when cutting small pieces of scallion.

Once you have added your butter to the pan, added the egg mixture onto the pan, and placed small amounts of your various ingredients onto the egg solution (evenly spread out of course), you will need to leave your canvas to dry. Give it time to cook, and fold it in half when you feel it is ready. The sides are your choice, as this is your canvas.

The most important step is the will to change parts of your omelet tomorrow if it doesn’t sit well with you today.

Enjoy your art.