Growing up as a daughter of resturant owners, I explore the shame of not having parents that could dedicate their time to me and the realization of the sacrifices they made for my happiness.
Li’s Kitchen
Culinary & Food
Chinese Braised Beef Soup
This is what the process of making hong shao niu rou tang, or chinese braised beef soup, means to me.
Lost in Translation
As a Chinese American, growing up in a predominately white environment was challenging towards my identity—especially at school. As I get older, I am able to appreciate the beauty of my culture.
吃飯 New York
吃飯 (HEK-FAN) New York is a series of video essays that follows the format of an abecedary, documenting personal stories of food and culture between a pair of friends.
Learning to linger
That moment when you have to go but want to stay—so you decide you really don’t have to go at all.
Piggyback
This began as my personal statement for my Common Application, but has transformed over time into a personal essay.
Making American Holidays Our Own
Two essays about experiencing American holidays through the lens of immigrant families. Each of us has different stories of trying to figure out American holiday traditions, but we’ve also tried to build our own.
Pan Dulce in My Veins
My life growing up in a family of bakers.
Where I’m From
This is a poem about where I’m from as a 16-year-old, born and raised in Queens, New York in a small family of four.
Letter of Recommendation: Rice Cookers
There is no kitchen appliance more magical than a rice cooker. Compact, electric and brimming with tasty grains, it holds a special place in our hearts. Here, we pay tribute to the rice cooker.
A Taste of Life: Musings by Kailee and Shyanne
On culinary connections to our cultures.
Flavor
This piece is about the details in food, specifically cake, and all it has to offer—because each one is a reflection of one’s inner self.
The Cat Supermarket
A cute and funny short film where there is a supermarket for cats when they are shaped like different types of foods! Don’t worry though, they aren’t actually for eating—just for decoration!
Wanted Food, But I Had Homework
This all started out with a six-word prompt written by a classmate of mine, “wanted food, but I had homework.” I ended up turning it into something special to myself, and something relatable to everyone in high school.
Noodles and Pasta: Different Yet the Same
I wrote this piece to reflect on my favorite tradition every year– my family’s Christmas Eve dinners, which demonstrates my multi-cultural background through the food that we eat.