A Personal Recipe Journal
As someone who cooks daily, I often find myself tossing ingredients together without much thought, leading to meals that taste different every time. I wanted to perfect my favorite recipes, capturing the ideal balance of flavors and methods. With recipes coming from all over, I needed a way to organize and keep them in one place. This brought back memories of my homestay in Australia when I was younger. My host mother had her own collection of recipe cards, which she would lovingly consult each day to create delicious meals. Inspired by her, I started jotting down my own recipes, beginning with good old-fashioned pen and paper.
Passing Down the Taste of Home to My Kids
While my mother wasnโt a gourmet chef, her cooking was full of love and warmth. I remember feeling a tinge of envy when other moms baked elaborate cakes or whipped up fancy meals, but I still cherish the simple, comforting dishes she made. Unfortunately, I never learned her recipesโI was too young to be trusted with a knife, and cooking wasnโt something I did much of back then. (Maybe she didnโt have exact recipes, just a dash of this and that!)
Now, as a mother myself, Iโve found so much joy in cooking with my two daughters, especially since we moved to Germany. The pandemic has given us more time together, turning our kitchen into a space of creativity and connection. My daughters love to chime in with suggestionsโ”Not quite right” or “Maybe try this?”โand little by little, weโre building our own collection of family recipes. I hope that one day, when theyโre grown and cooking on their own, theyโll remember these moments and recreate the dishes we made together. Itโs more than just cooking; itโs about passing down a piece of our familyโs story to the next generation.
A Culinary Journey Through Cultures
Living in Berlin, a vibrant city with a rich mix of cultures feels like traveling the world with every step. The diversity here has allowed me to meet people from all walks of life, and through them, Iโve had the chance to explore an incredible variety of cuisines. Whether itโs savoring a classic German dish or discovering flavors from Italy, Russia, Turkey, Vietnam, and beyond, my culinary horizons have expanded in ways I never imagined.
Local supermarkets are like cultural treasure troves, offering seasonal ingredients that reveal how the locals eat. In spring, for example, youโll find fresh asparagus paired with ham and hollandaise sauceโa quintessential German combination thatโs now become a staple in our home. For someone like me, who grew up in Japan, these discoveries are a delightful surprise. Wandering through the aisles has become one of my favorite pastimes, as I uncover new flavors and ingredients to try.
Being in Europe has also made it easy to explore other cities, like the time my family and I indulged in the most unforgettable carbonara in Rome. It was so good, I thought, “I canโt fly to Rome every time I want this! I have to learn to make it myself!” That moment marked the beginning of my quest to master recipes from my travels.
Meeting new people, tasting their food, and experiencing different cultures have ignited a desire in me to preserve these moments. I donโt want to simply enjoy these dishes onceโI want to recreate them time and time again. Thatโs why Iโve decided to start documenting my culinary adventures, turning these delicious memories into a personal recipe journal that I can share with others.
