Simón "Ghost" Riley who knows how to cook.
Not because he grew up with loving parents who thought him how to cook, or because he grew up around tons of wonderful foods.
But because of the exact opposite.
Simon grew up used to the empty pit in his stomach. He grew up used to strange combinations of condiments and literally anything that wasn't stale as a meal.
He grew up used to the fridge being used as a basically a cabinate because the electricity bill was rarely paid to keep the food inside(if there was any) cold.
But during those rare times when the electricity bill was paid and he was safe to be in the same room as the TV, he watched the cooking programs.
He’d drool over the crispy sizzling chicken, and the idea of cold ice cream with hot apple pie.
He watched the cooking program religiously, usually to watch while he ate whatever sad excuse for a meal he was able to scrounge together.
He'd close his eyes and imagine the ketchup and saltene-cracker combo was actually a delicious grilled hamburger. Or the white bread and sugar was actually cinnamon rolls.
It was a very sad way to live but it kept him alive, now as an adult he definitely has some food insecurity. His apartment may be bare but his kitchen is overly well stocked.
He has meats,cheeses, breads, salads, fruits and vegetables (something he only really had with the free school lunch as a kid), and of course…sweets.
When he first started actually grocery shopping with his BAS (Basic Allowance for Subsistence) he nearly cried looking at all the food in one place.
He was able to buy it and cook it and eat it. Not just look at it through a shitty television screen.
Even through he grew up with that pit in his stomach, adult Simon finds a way to fill it everyday.
Whether that's Italian with handmade bow pasta, or Korean barbecue with sauce made from scratch, or hell somtimes he’ll make dessert for dinner just so he has enough room to have as many servings as he wants.
When Simon found out he could not only watch his cooking shows on his tv but also on social media?? That's was the only thing that convinced him to upgrade from his crappy flip phone to a smart phone, now he listens to his cooking channels anytime he's stressed, or has any downtime.
Planning the next meal he’ll food for his childhood self.