My name is Victoria Christensen and I was born in the culturally diverse city of Houston. A city that is a true culinary gem and has served to expand my palate far beyond anything I could have imagined.
My name is Victoria Christensen and I was born in the culturally diverse city of Houston. A city that is a true culinary gem and has served to expand my palate far beyond anything I could have imagined.
I was born to a fiery Mexican mother and a witty Korean father. I was blessed with a family of amazing cooks, who love to experiment in the kitchen. My mother has always been a master at bringing beautifully complex flavors to the table every night. Food with lots of garlic, salt, and the very familiar and nostalgic flavor of cilantro. Mexican food could always bring me back to spending sunny summers in Mexico with my grandparents, memories I will never forget. My mother’s cooking was real comfort food; the kind of food that when my dad got home from work, he could chow down on and forget about his worries. Food that could ground him to the present moment with his family. A blissful escape.
As my brother and I grew up, my dad was able to land a less stressful job which would allow him much more time with us. Naturally, all four us packed our things and moved to the very small, sparse city of Pearland. A place that has now been considered home to us for 16 years. After which, with my father’s new found time, we were welcomed into the world of Korean food. A whole new universe of dishes that has since expanded my horizons of what food could really be. Spicy noodles, black bean sauces, and crisp kimchi invited me into a whole new culture that was in fact my own, but yet; there was much to be discovered. This also ignited an interesting question for me. I thought “Why stop here?”
As a family we would delve into new parts of town that could offer us different cuisine that we had never tried before; curry, gyros, oysters, and I also discovered a love for spicy gumbo.
By the time I entered high school, I believed that I had tried just about every food the Houston area had to offer me. It was also at this time that my parents wanted to travel more and of course my brother and I were in for the ride. During summers, we would vacation in new places like Honduras, Playa Del Carmen, or Belize. To this very day, Belize holds a special place in my heart. The Caribbean food mixed with creole influence is out of this world.
By the time I entered high school, I believed that I had tried just about every food the Houston area had to offer me. It was also at this time that my parents wanted to travel more and of course my brother and I were in for the ride. During summers, we would vacation in new places like Honduras, Playa Del Carmen, or Belize. To this very day, Belize holds a special place in my heart. The Caribbean food mixed with creole influence is out of this world.
My parents and I still travel together to learn about different cultures and experience what even the smallest corners of this world has to offer. I doubt our love of food and travel will ever die down, nor do I ever want it to.