The Foodie Takes Flight

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Hello and welcome to The Foodie Takes Flight!

I’m Jeeca (short for Jessica) and I’m a 24-year old with a passion for creating easy, vegan recipes using really simple ingredients.
 
I grew up in a Filipino-Chinese household in the Philippines so my creations are inspired by the food and culture I grew up with, as well as my travels.
 
I started my Instagram account thefoodietakesflight when I decided to go vegan overnight back in 2015. This was after watching the documentary called Earthlings and realised that I no longer wanted to contribute to the cruelty towards animals. I eventually learned of the environmental impact of our diets on this planet, that has made me more conscious of my day-to-day choices starting from the food I consume and products I purchase.
 
Going on this vegan lifestyle has been one of the the best decision I’ve made. It came with its highs and lows, but I always remind myself to stand by what I believe in. Being vegan in college isn’t easy as well, but I’ve learned how to work my way around social events and dealing with skeptical individuals.
 
I’m beyond grateful for the people who constantly support me and the amazing individuals I’ve met along the way.
 
I created this platform in hopes to inspire more to adapt a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle because our choices can help contribute to a more positive change in this planet we call home.
 
I hope you enjoy my recipes as much as I do!

MORE ABOUT ME AND THE FOODIE TAKES FLIGHT

What kind of recipes will I find here?

You’ll find most Asian and Asian-inspired vegan recipes here. Since I grew up in the Philippines with a Chinese background, I grew up with a mix of East and Southeast Asian recipes, mostly from home cooked meals and from my travels.

You’ll find Chinese classics such as Sweet and Sour “Pork”, Homemade Wontons in Chili Broth, Ginger and Scallion Noodles, Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu, Chili Garlic Oil Noodles, and more.

You’ll also find vegan versions of some of my favourite Filipino food growing up from Kare-Kare, Kaldereta, Salpicao, Tofu Sisig, and more.

Which recipes do you recommend?

Well, this is of course a personal preference but if you’re looking to get started on your vegan journey and are looking for a great substitute to meat, I can recommend starting out with a few of my tofu recipes.

If you’re looking for quick and simple (but still really hearty recipes), I can recommend checking out my noodle recipes.

Where did you learn how to cook?

I learned a lot growing up and seeing the people here at home cook. My mom was always in the kitchen and she learned a lot of tips and tricks from my ama (dad’s mom) and guama (my mom’s mom).

I also loved watching cooking shows growing up and would try out a lot of different dishes in the kitchen before I even went vegan.

What are some ingredients you swear by?

You can find some of my kitchen and pantry essentials here.

  1. Different types of noodles: ramen noodles, udon noodles, different sizes and thickness of wheat and rice noodles, I also love different vermicelli–from rice vermicelli to starch-based vermicelli. 
  2. For meat substitutes in my recipes: tofu, mushrooms, tempeh, soy chunks/meat, beans, and lentils are some that I love to use.
  3. For sauces and condiments: soy sauce (dark and regular soy sauce), sesame oil, vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, chili sauce, Shaoxing wine, mirin, sake, gochujang (Korean chili paste), miso paste, Chinese sesame paste

What’s your favourite food?

Hmmmm… a really tough question but probably anything with rice or noodles!

What do you like to do (outside of cooking and photography)?

I love doing pottery and creating my own ceramic pieces–from plates, spoons, cups, mugs, etc! A lot of the plates I use in my photos I made myself.

I also enjoy gardening and planting my own herbs to use for my cooking.

Apart from these I love watching films and recently during the start of quarantine, Korean dramas!

What camera do you use?

I use a Fujifilm X-T30 with 18-55mm lens for my photos.

Do you use any lights to shoot?

I currently only use natural light for all my photos. I shoot my a window and use a simple board with a white surface to help me reflect light.

You can see some behind-the-scenes in my Instagram highlights here!