Welcome to Shiki’s Kitchen, your gateway to many new and exciting food adventures! Join me as we turn up the heat and explore many recipes from around the world, from your local American favorites like fried chicken and hamburgers, to Japanese mochi treats and delicious curry. Every week we will try new recipes and discover the many tastes of the world!
As a quick about me, my name is Ian Berendsen, but online I go by the screenname Shikibara. I am a student at the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, majoring in both Japanese Studies and Communications with an emphasis in Electronic Media. If all goes according to plan, I should be spending the 21-22 academic year in Japan and then graduating in the Fall of 2022. Currently I work as a resident assistant and as a lead theatre technician at Young Auditorium.
Food has always been a love of mine, not just in the fact that it tastes good and is necessary for survival, but also in the diversity that exists between cultures for food. My path in cooking and baking began when I was young, but really took off around the time I was 15. During my teen years, I was diagnosed with GERD, chronic ulcers, all of which were made worse by a weird buildup of white blood cells in my intestines due to mild food allergies. From this, I went on elimination diets constantly to try to determine what to stay away from. The primary foods that I needed to avoid during these times were beef, pork, eggs, soy, corn, rice, rye, as well as my pre-existing major allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, and shellfish. These food restrictions put me in a difficult spot as far as fast food and other quick meals at the store were concerned (everything processed, and I mean basically everything, has soy in it!). From this my life required me to make most of my meals at home, however there is only so many times you can enjoy chicken, broccoli, and carrots before you start seeking out new foods. From this I began my adventure in cooking by adding new spices to my recipes, mixing in new ingredients, and making other new home made goods to replace what I was missing from the store (cookies, cakes, candies, pastries, etc…). As I reintroduced foods back in to my diet, and my gut healed enough to put some more spicy foods back in my life, I began to experiment with cuisines from other cultures. Through food, I discovered that one can learn about another culture and find new connections.
I look forward to sharing a journey as well as a meal with all of you~!