Hello food lovers, my name is Lola and I am here to share some delicious recipes to make at home and show you some bomb local restaurants in my food column “What Lola Likes.”

But first, let me tell you a bit about myself.

My name is Lola Ajetunmobi and I am a 20 year old sophomore at Cerritos College and staff writer for Talon Marks.

Cooking was something I learned to do at a young age and from there, a love for food grew.

Mac n’ cheese was the first food I learned how to make, like most children, then I leveled up.

I come from Nigerian culture so Nigerian dishes are very common in my household. My mom taught me how to make those recipes and how to balance out the different flavors.

I loved (and still do) watching Food Network and cooking shows from different streaming platforms, imagining what I could make if I were on the show.

For a couple of birthdays, a friend would give me cookbooks by my favorite chefs and I would attempt to make the recipes. Sometimes it would not go the way I wanted, but that is part of the cooking process.

I have a saved category on Instagram and Pinterest dedicated to food that I could make or try from restaurants.

I believe food is another language of love, making one feel whole and I love being able to share that with others by cooking for them. It makes me happy.

When I am not thinking about food 24/7, my hobbies include creative writing, reading (mainly fiction books) and listening to music.

Speaking about reading, enough about me, let’s start talking about the food column!

My food column “What Lola Likes” will feature me writing about dishes I have made, whether it be my own or other people’s recipes.

We are still in a pandemic, sadly. However, it is an opportunity for anyone, any age, to make meals at home.

We are going to explore different meals from different cultures with our own little twist on it with the products we have at home.

We will also do copycats of our favorite fast-food restaurants such as Chick-fil-A nuggets and sauce or Taco Bell’s quesarito.

For my vegan fam or anyone interested in trying vegan food, we will whip up plant-based recipes as well.

Whether these recipes will be a dinner date for you and your boo, the whole family or even just you (which 99.9% of the food I make is for me), I got you.

Don’t worry, these recipes will be at an affordable price. I am a college student!

But do not fret, we do not always want to cook, so I will be reviewing food from restaurants in the local area: Downey, Cerritos, Cypress, Buena Park, Norwalk, Lakewood, Whittier etc.

There are so many delicious spots around here you will be amazed at how close you can find something you are craving.

I am excited for us to start this journey together and I hope, if you are not already, you become a food fanatic.

“Food is everything we are. It’s an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling, your personal history, your provinces, your region, your tribe, your grandma. It’s inseparable from those from the get-go.” – Anthony Bourdain