One thing that makes me the happiest is cooking. Cooking for people, peeling potatoes, searing steak, butchering a chicken, roasting a beetroot...whatever. I cook a lot at home, but I always felt like there was something missing from home-cooking. I needed 9 risottos to finish in the next 15 minutes, a pan on fire and a jammed chit printer happening all at once. This, and primarily the need for extra cash,  drove me to work in restaurants since high school and throughout my undergraduate and master's degrees. 

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When I began my PhD however, it quickly became clear that I needed to dedicate more time to science. Working in kitchens at night and on weekends became too much, and I decided it was best quit my job at the most amazing restaurant I've worked in. So, I stuffed my aprons into a plastic bag, and went back to pretending that I was cooking for a full restaurant over my tiny home stove. 

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Here's the last dish I put on special during my final dinner service: 

Zaatar crusted pork tenderloin, served on a bed of artichoke and navy beans with a side of toum.