Creative Creations: Your Cooking Companion

Having a cooking companion can be the thing to transform both your dish and your experience in the kitchen. This is not really someone you seek, but someone you stumble upon. It’s something to be grateful for and to cherish, as the syncing of hearts and palettes is a testament to the soul. With so much discovery and creation to be made in the kitchen, having someone to collaborate with brings more than just a beautiful dish. It brings life to the experience, as conversations tangent to new things. The songs you have playing become your duo debut and both your smiles won’t quit. Be patient, one will come and you’ll know it’s true.

I’ve been lucky to have one memorable adventure after the other with my best friend, Nomin. Here’s our story:

It all started with rosemary. Or was it a sweet potato? While both are beautifully flavorful in their own ways, when you put them together… magic. I like to think this is the same for Nomin and me. Our story began with a connection to food, a desire to explore and expand cultural creations and two stomachs forever craving a colorful plate. Whether it’s an egg, veggie, sweet potato hash, a vibrant veggie-filled yellow curry or a homemade pizza, you can expect our spice cabinet open, and almost every one to make an appearance. We connect to flavors, because they connect to food; the way roasted cauliflower holds the turmeric’s yellow hue, the way red pepper flakes add the perfect spicy sparkle and the way fresh herbs take a dish to a whole new level, infusing their essence; we love them all. We need them all.

We both come from heritage proud families where food has always been a star. A Mongolian and an Italian, who knew such a pair would call for such heavenly creations? While conversations, connections and loud kitchens are things Nomin and I are both very used to, the leap to live with each other may have been the greatest leap for us both. As we acquainted ourselves with a new human, with unique drives and desires, we synced up. Organic as ever, we became something you’d expect to take years to create. And for us, the kitchen, music, connection and design are our absolute core. Blossoming into one hell of a duo, we won’t stop creating.

Also, a food blog may or may not be in the works…

Alyssa Giaimo
Reporter
alyssa.n.giaimo@uwsp.edu