Interview

To be honest, I genuinely enjoy cooking, especially when I have enough time to experiment. I usually cook at home three or four times a week, mostly simple things like pasta, soups, or stir-fries. There is something satisfying about turning raw ingredients into a meal that you and others can actually enjoy.

Without a doubt, food is deeply connected to who we are and where we come from. Traditional dishes carry the history of a place — for example, dishes like borsch or plov are instantly associated with specific cultures and are a source of national pride. When people move to a new country, food is often one of the first things they hold onto as a link to their roots.

Honestly speaking, the majority of young people do not eat as well as they should. Fast food is cheap, convenient, and heavily advertised, which makes it very appealing when you are busy or short of money. The main issues are skipping breakfast, eating too much processed food, and not consuming enough vegetables — habits that are easy to form and surprisingly difficult to break.

Both options have their merits, but for everyday meals I prefer eating at home because it is more affordable and you have full control over ingredients. Cooking at home also tends to be healthier, as you avoid the excess salt, oil, and sugar that restaurants often add. That said, eating out is a lovely social experience and a chance to try dishes you could never easily make yourself.

To be perfectly honest, the creative side of being a chef is very attractive — the idea of inventing recipes, working with seasonal ingredients, and making people genuinely happy with food sounds rewarding. However, the reality involves extremely long hours, high-pressure kitchen environments, and relatively low pay in the early years. On balance, I would rather cook as a passion than as a profession.