Emma-Leigh

Connect What is your signature dish?

I have both sweet and savory options when it comes to a signature dish. For savory, there's either my spinach and beef soup that is loosely based on Sigeumchi Doenjang Guk (a spinach and soybeans paste soup) or Kimchi Jjigae made with homemade kimchi. For sweet, I make a pumpkin custard tart with a pecan shortbread crust that is topped with a salted caramel and roasted pecan topping. It's truly decadent.

Who is your culinary inspiration?

The one who first inspired me to cook was my mom. We grew up making do with what little we had and she always tried making is seem special in spite of it all. Watching Good Eats with her taught me the science behind cooking and Iron Chef (Chef Morimoto was always my favorite) showed the endless possibilities of the ingredients we had. I didn't really get into cooking and baking until a couple of years before we lost her, but my mom will always be the reason that I cook with my heart and soul.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would put a down-payment on a house because I need the stability and a larger kitchen than my apartment currently provides and hopefully I'll have a little extra to go on a little trip to try foods from around the world.