Fastfood... my Savior!

Growing up, I always ate home-cooked meals.  My mother would always make sure that breakfast had either eggs (cooked to your liking), crisp bacon strips, freshly-baked muffins (sometimes toast), oatmeal from fresh oats, pancakes with maple syrup topped with butter or strawberries (or raspberries, my favorite).  What's for lunch?  Baked fish, steamed or stir-fried veggies, beef stew or pork chops -- these were all eaten with jasmine rice, the best white rice ever.  And dinner was always the meal we all look forward to.  This was where a major entree was served and the dessert was always delectable because my mother always came up with an original.


Then I went on to study outside town as a teenager.  I stayed in a dorm and the food was average compared to mother's cooking.  They took canned meat and mixed them with vegetables and called it "corned beef with vegetables soup" or "pork and beans with bokchoy leaves".  The weekends were days I always got excited because I would go home to my mother's cooking.


When I went on to college, that's when I did grow up.  My school was thousands of miles away from my home.  I was left on my own.  My parents just gave me an "allowance" that would pay for my expenses in school, transportation, and yes, food.  My world suddenly became so fast-paced and hectic.  I had study groups, out-of-town retreats, homework, projects, reports... I barely had time to socialize with my friends from high school.  Amidst all this chaos in my life, the daunting reality about food made my life even worse... I DID NOT KNOW HOW TO COOK!


After I survived the "denial" of this reality, which lasted for about 10 seconds, my love affair with fastfood began.  I discovered hamburgers, cheeseburgers, french fries, ice cream, frozen dinners, chips, chili fries, ramen, and Chinese food-to-go.  Fastfood saved me from starvation.  It has enabled me to cope with my lack of "cooking talent".


To this day, I continue to be grateful to MacDonald's, Carl's Jr., Jack-in-the-Box, Wendy's, Burger King, El Pollo Loco, KFC, Popeye's, just to name a few.  Also, thank you to the numerous Chinese fastfood joints.


I still do miss my mother's cooking...