Her Campus (HC): Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Daniel Wei (DW): I am from China. I came to the United States for the first time in last August, [so] I have been staying in America for almost seven months. I am currently in the my first year [for a] Master of Social Work.
HC: How did you learn to cook?
DW: I love cooking, but ironically I never cooked for my family at home, where food is always prepared either by my sister or my father. Believe it or not, I started cooking because I couldn’t afford eating out. And that began when I settled in another city for my vocation, following the completion of [my] undergraduate program. Lacking the knowledge in gastronomy, I had to resort to the recipes posted online. And they have been of enormous assistance for me in coming up with new dishes.
HC: What is your favorite dish that you have made?
DW: I am indeed very fortunate to reside in a townhouse where all [of the] necessary kitchenware for preparing Chinese food are in place. Before long, I got to know that there is a Chinese market nearby. With all [these prerequisites], plus relocation in a foreign country where everyday Chinese food seems afar, cooking naturally becomes part of the routine. Growing up in the Chinese culture that features dinner tables as socializing venues, I have been inviting my American friends over for dinner. The positive feedback heaped from them is both encouraging and motivating. I think so far the most popular dish among my American friends is dumpling, or jiaozi in Chinese, followed by fried rice. They tell me that the dumplings and fried rice I make are the most authentic they have ever tried and outweigh any other food served in local Chinese restaurants. For me, it’s hard to pick the food that I like best. I like being creative when making food, which usually comes out surprising in a pleasant way, thus providing me a sense of satisfaction.
HC: What occupation do you want to have in the future?
DW: I may [or] may not open my own restaurant as suggested by my friends because cooking is not enjoyable anymore when it is done for the sake of money. It’s very likely that I will engage in the field of social work and business.
HC: Other than cooking, what is another hobby of yours?
DW: I like many other stuff apart from cooking: singing, swimming, traveling and reading are definitely my recreational choices as well.