Welcome to The Kitchen Division! My name is Aya and I’m so glad you stopped by. My goal is simple: to help people cook amazing meals for themselves, regardless of their experience level! A little bit about me:
I have been cooking since I was five years old.
It’s true! I was born into a small family that relied on mealtime as the main way to connect and build strong relationships with each other. Food was our way of coming together at the end of a long day and sharing our stories, discoveries, feelings, and ideas. My parents were avid gardeners and foragers, and our table was always filled with fresh, seasonal foods. As I grew older, my cookbook collection grew larger. I lived on reruns of Good Eats and No Reservations. I even once tried filming my own cooking show on a dingy Panasonic camcorder in our home kitchen.
I spent my teen years living in Japan.
Living in a country with one of the most refined cuisines in the world had a profound impact on my culinary views. Japan is famous for both its upscale restaurants and sizzling street food. Today, I continue to be influenced by the Japanese respect for technique and craftsmanship when it comes to cooking.
Fast forward to 2013. I had just graduated from high school and had a hard decision to make.
Do I go to culinary school or a traditional university? Do I follow my passion, my real passion, or do I play it safe and get a business degree?
Well, I played it safe, and every day since, I have always wondered “what if?”.
That is where this blog comes in!
What started out as a passion project has turned into a small obsession and it has been so fulfilling to share my recipes, tips, and guides!
I knew in my bones that cooking is what I truly loved doing the most, and if I could help even just one person cook a better meal for themselves, then I will have accomplished what I set out to do.
“Anyone Can Cook”
In the movie Ratatouille, there’s a famous line where Chef Gusteau says, “Anyone can cook!”.
Even though it’s just a movie, I believe this is true for everyone. There is so much to offer in the culinary world. It just takes a little creativity and practice to bring the whole world to your kitchen!
So have a look around, try a recipe or two, maybe check out a guide if you’re new to cooking! Thank you for supporting me in my passion, I can’t wait to take a bite out of life with you!