My Story
Welcome! My name is Karina Chan, and I’m thrilled to have you here!
As a child, my absolute favorite toy was 煮飯仔, a pretend play kitchen set. Little did I know that cooking and baking would become such integral parts of my identity.
When I immigrated to the States at the age of 16 to attend boarding school, I started cooking simple meals out of homesickness in the dorm kitchen. After a few months, I found myself helping out at the school cafeteria on weekends, making batch after batch of pancakes and muffins. As I spent more time in the kitchen, I discovered my love for the culinary arts.
People often ask me about my journey in learning to cook and bake. Truth be told, it all boils down to observation. During breaks from schoolwork at home, I’d wander into the kitchen, taste-testing a bite or two of that evening's stew or soup, sometimes asking about the preparation methods. Over the years, I’ve spent hundreds of hours in kitchens and have gathered a wealth of culinary knowledge through trial and error.
My culinary style is largely self-taught, driven by simplicity, efficiency, and, most importantly, deliciousness!
Where I am now
I’m an M.D. candidate at California Northstate University College of Medicine, living in Sacramento. I’m currently applying to anesthesia residency.
Medical school is hard, but baking has kept me sane (for the most part). Baking has always been a de-stressor, and I always find myself baking a batch of cookie before a test! With the help of a few of my talented friends, I bring to you my most precious project I’ve worked on, a platform that documents my love for food, baking, and everything in between!
Medicine & Food
Since the beginning of medical school, I've set my sights on anesthesiology. I think there's a fascinating parallel between anesthesia and baking.
When I bake, I always start with a basic recipe. However, depending on factors like humidity and the weight of my eggs, I'm constantly adjusting as I go. Anesthesia works similarly—there's a foundational approach, whether preparing a patient for surgery or performing a procedure. But depending on factors like the patient's age, BMI, or type of surgery, anesthesiologists make real-time adjustments to medication types and dosages. And when complications arise (like a sudden drop in blood pressure), they must think quickly and adapt to keep everything stable.
My team
Amanda Marston
One of my favorite memories with Amanda is making a gluten-free pumpkin pie at her grandma's house when we were still in high school. We made everything from scratch, and she took some gorgeous pictures then. Perhaps it’s time for me to dig those pictures out!
Amanda is now Director of Design @ CodeStack Systems.
She helped me choose Squarespace as my platform for delivering personalized baked goods. She's troubleshot countless issues with me, especially in the beginning of this journey. Forever grateful for friends like her!
Tri Huynh
I met Tri at a dinner with mutual friends during my second year of medical school. When he mentioned his love for photography, my ears perked up. It's the perfect creative partnership—I focus on making delicious dishes while he captures them through his lens.
Tri is now a third-year medical student at California Northstate University College of Medicine, contemplating cardiology as a specialty.
He captures all my food photography! While I sometimes frustrate him by moving ingredients around between shots, I'm so grateful for the elegant photos and videos he creates!
Kim
I met Kim during my master's degree at Columbia University. It was during COVID years so we didn't meet until a few months after the course had started. As soon as I met her, I knew we'd be friends for a long time. For one, she loves food as much as I do. And second, she's incredibly artistic.
Kim is now a second-year medical student at Western University of Health Sciences in Oregon.
Kim has helped with the website logo and continues to be my creative sounding board whenever I need a fresh perspective on design ideas!