Gastronomic Inspirations

You’re standing in front of the fridge at 6:47 p.m. Hungry. Tired. Done. You don’t want takeout.

You’re staring into the fridge at 6 p.m. again. Tired. Hungry. Done with takeout. Done with bland leftovers.

Dinner in 25 minutes. Without takeout. Without bland leftovers. Without pretending your “Korean” stir-fry is authentic.

It’s 6 PM. You’re wiped. And the idea of cooking anything. Let alone something that tastes like it came from a real kitchen (feels) like a joke.

I’m tired of scrolling through recipes that all taste the same. You are too. How many times have you clicked on something labeled “authentic” or “global”…

You’re holding a knobby root vegetable you’ve never seen before. It’s sitting on your counter. You have no idea what to do with it. I’ve been there.

You’re standing in front of the fridge at 6:17 p.m. again. Hungry. Tired. Done with takeout menus and sad microwave meals. I’ve been there.

You’re standing in front of the fridge at 6:17 p.m. Hungry. Tired. Done with takeout menus. I’ve been there. More times than I’ll admit.

You’ve seen the name “Jalbite” on a menu or a food blog. You clicked. You read. You closed the tab confused. That’s not your fault.

I smell it before I even open the door. Toasted cumin. Slow-simmered tomatoes. Fresh cilantro crushed between my fingers. That’s not restaurant perfume.