A Jammin Life

I am Jammin: part-time chef, full-time dog mom, dexterous handicraftsman, matcha enthusiast, fainthearted adventurer, versatile innovator and most of all, a big dreamer!

I’ve wanted to be a chef since I was 13 years old, but it took years of convincing for my parents to allow me to go to culinary school on one condition: that I pay for it myself. So I worked 3 part time jobs (overnight baker, dinnertime restaurant server, and weekend office clerk) while attending school.

Despite running on fumes to afford school, I remember this time to be the happiest I had been. The magical moment began every night at 2 AM when the world was asleep and the cafe would be the only flickering lights in the dark. Playing the Gorillaz’s “On Melancholy Hill” in the background, I baked croissants and pretzels, filling the air with the warm smell of sugar and butter. I watched the sun rise through the floor-to-ceiling windows as the baristas arrived to open. I traded fresh bread for my daily dose of caffeine, with the coffee smell blending into the kitchen. By then my shift would be over and I would head to class to join my newfound food-loving friends. Altogether, I was engulfed by the overwhelming sensations of good food, good people, and good atmosphere. Since then, I have been pursuing to feel that level of peaceful contentment again, and be able to share it with those around me through food.