Hello, everyone!
I'm Emily, and I'm the "chef" and writer behind In College & Actually Cook. I am in fact in college and I do really cook, so I'll give you a little background on me and how this blog came to be.
I'm currently a senior and full-time student studying Communications Design with a concentration in Graphic Design at Pratt Institute in New York City, but my hometown is Pittsburgh, PA. (And yes, I speak Pittsburghese, yinz guys.) Last semester I took a Social Media class in which one of our assignments was to create and maintain a blog. I didn't know what I could blog about on a normal basis, but I knew I loved cooking. So that's how In College & Actually Cook came about! I no longer have the class, but I've decided to continue the blog for when I have time.
It may look like a lot of my recipes have funny ingredients, and they may to the average Westerner, like me. Living in New York City, I have the privilege to go shopping in Chinatown, although I have to take four subway trains to get there. If you can get over there, stop over on Canal street near Baxter St. and Mulberry St. They've got some of the best produce street vendors, Asian markets, and fresh fish markets. The prices are wonderful, too. If you don't have this luxury, try to find and Asian market/grocery around where you live, or even some larger grocery stores will have a decent Asian food section.
If you think I have all the time in the world to be cooking, I don't. I'm a full-time college student with little time on my hands. I know what it's like to be swamped. I know what it's like to be sitting in class all day. I know how stressful finals are. I know what it's like to have breakdowns over the amount of homework you have. I also know what it's like to have an itty-bitty kitchen! I measured my kitchen for a senior project once, and found that it's only 6 ft. by 7 ft. That's including the space the fridge, counters, and oven take up. It's teeny! As far as counter space, I have only 17 in. by 30 in. space to be working on. So don't be discouraged! If I can go to college and still make good food with limited budget, space, and resources, so can you!
Happy cooking!!
~ Emily
