Assignment 1 - Joshua Pe

Howdy! My name is Joshua, but I prefer Josh, and I'm probably the shortest guy at school, measuring in at 5'4'' on a good day. My current personal goal that I'm putting the most effort into is dropping fat. My school goals for this year are to increase my ACT score, keep my GPA, and get involved in more extracurriculars.

I stayed in Lexington for the fourth time in a row for summer vacation. I did not do much besides cook, clean, do homework, and hang out with friends. I sat on the panel for the freshman orientations, and imparted my knowledge. Probably the most memorable experience was waiting for Frank Ocean to drop Boys Don't Cry in July, then watching the livestream, then waiting for it on August 5th, and then having it finally come out this week. I have only waited 3 years, but I know people who have been waiting since Channel Orange.

If I had a superpower, it'd probably be the power to always have energy. If I could be at maximum efficiency all the time, I'd be able to do more things each day.

Cooking is my biggest interest. I picked up cooking about 3 years ago when my tolerance for my mom's cooking fell through. I cook whatever I feel like. Usually it's for myself, but sometimes it's for friends. Often I'll bake cookies or brownies and take them to school to share with people. My go to recipes for a quick meal are chicken and shrimp fried rice, Japanese gyudon, and pasta. My father owns and works at a Chinese fast food restaurant in Northridge, California, and I used to hang out around the kitchen after school, watching him and other employees cook. Living in Los Angeles introduced me to different cultures and foods. Some of my favorite foods are Vietnamese pho bo, Korean soondubu jjigae, Chinese roasted duck, Thai littleneck clams with tamarind, fried chicken from anywhere but KFC, and McDonald's fish-o-fillet. My favorite places to eat are McDonalds, Popeyes, Costco, and Waffle House. I like my hash browns smothered, covered, chunked, peppered, capped, and topped, but not country nor diced.

I love to cook, and the thing that geeks me out is cooking equipment and technology. I'd love to have new knives and sharpeners, a food processor, a blender, a gas stovetop, a sous vide circulator, a stand-mixer, an ice cream machine, new cutting boards, and All-Clad pans and pots. I read food blogs and lists about equipment, and I find recipes that require equipment that I don't have. I have the basics--an old knife, a worn cutting board, a scale, measuring cups and spoons, Pyrex, some Target pots and pans, a wok, and a cast iron pan--but I could have more.

My favorite websites: http://www.seriouseats.com/ http://www.maangchi.com/ http://thewoksoflife.com/

Soondubu jjigae with shrimp, clams, and beef
.