SUBMITTED PHOTO: HANNAH LIU

As part of her daily cooking adventures, senior Hannah Liu made avocado toast.

Since all extracurricular activities have been cancelled following the COVID-19 outbreak and stay-at-home guidelines, many CHS students have found themselves with extra time on their hands once they have finished their e-learning activities. Senior Hannah Liu is one of these students, but to pass the time she has started cooking once every day and posting her food creations on Instagram. Read this Q&A with Liu, which was conducted virtually.

Why did you decide to start cooking something every day now?

I decided at the beginning of the year to cook something every day once summer started because I was clueless at cooking and I wanted to get better before I started living on my own next year. And once school closed, it was kind of like I just got started doing it earlier than I expected. Also because I have so much free time it’s nice to have something consistent to do every day.

When school was still going on did you cook a lot or has this been something new you picked up?

I baked with my sister, like maybe once a month or something, but I feel like a lot of people consider baking and cooking to be different things. I did cook on a stovetop like once or twice, but every time I did I would burn it or something would go wrong so I’d be discouraged from trying again. So, yes, I’d say it’s something new I picked up. And also I feel like there’s no sense of urgency like ‘Oh I have to finish my homework after or study for some test’ so I can really take as much time as I need to figure out what I’m doing.

Has this helped you stay productive during this time?

Yes, it’s definitely helped me stay productive. Even after I cook, I feel productive already, so I’m more likely to go and hang out with my family, workout, or do something else that’s not just looking at my phone. Also, since I track the food (on Instagram) I can see how many days it’s been since I started, and it reminds me how fast the days are going by and that motivates me to be more productive too.

Are you happy that you started cooking everyday?

Yes, I’m really glad I’m learning to cook. I love eating too, so that’s like the best part of cooking. I also feel like more of an adult now that I can actually feed myself cooked meals, whereas before I’d only trust myself with baking or making a sandwich.

Take a look at some of the food Liu has made (all photos submitted by Liu):

Gallery • 7 Photos

Liu made pancakes.