“There is one dish that I did help my parents with, and I knew to make this any time my parents got into an argument.” I found this part of Lisa’s story to be incredibly powerful. I felt like she was speaking to my soul—that part of me that is small and bound up and rarely sees the light of day. It reminded me of how many times I felt I needed to “fix it somehow”—whether it was my parents arguing or some other “calamity” that befell our family. The instinct to cook as a “peace offering” between two people is beautiful and serves as a gorgeous foundation for Lisa’s journey in the kitchen. This dish is pretty simple—I take some Korean instant ramen and make some jjajang sauce (recipe in my cookbook) to pour over it. It’s a little unorthodox, I know, but I got the idea from watching my favorite anime of all time, Neon Genesis Evangelion. I was obsessed with that anime in college and I’d always wanted to try it. What better excuse than having the Instant Ramen Queen at my house? For th...