What I love doing the most is what gives me joy and keeps me away from unnecessary spending, insults, and a lot more. This is not just something that I do for fun or as just a hobby, but the truth is I do get joy from doing it more and more often in my life.

Tell us about your favorite hobby.

Cooking is my favorite hobby. There is nothing that gives me joy like cooking for myself and eating what I cooked at home.

Cooking has saved me from a lot of stress, unnecessary spending, and embarrassment. I really love cooking new recipes because I like eating and trying something new.

Besides cooking another thing that I drive joy in doing the most in my free time is reading.

Reading expands my knowledge, opens my eyes, and puts me in a better position in life, and I don't just read books anyhow; I read books that motivate me, shape me, and inspire me to be the kind of person I always dream of becoming.

What is it? How long have you been doing the hobby?

I have been cooking since when I was in my early 12 years old. Then, when I was still staying with my parents growing up, I used to assist my mother in the kitchen, and I learned my cooking from her. Cooking from a very young age has really been of help to me, as I am now a perfect cook/chef. Most of my friends do call me Chef Joe, and some do say my food is usually top-notch and tastes delicious.

If it is a creative hobby, show us some examples of your work.

Yes cooking is a creative hobby, as it is not everyone that knows how to cook and it is the more reason while people do go to catering, and Pastry school to learn how to cook. Below are some examples of the work of my hobby.

Here are examples of soup that I cooked myself.

Here are examples of rice and stew that I cooked myself.

Here is an example of potatoes porridge that I cooked myself.

Do any other members of your family share the same hobby?

In my family, even before entering university, my parents advised us to cook for ourselves rather than buy already cooked food. We all know how to cook, but it is my younger sister and me who love cooking the most.

If you have children, have you introduced them to your hobby?

Yes, I would introduce my children to my hobby because cooking has really saved me from a lot. I would teach my children how to cook and advice them to take cooking seriously just as the way my mom taught and advice me, my brother's and sister.

I would introduce my children to cooking because I know want them myself and my wife may travel and leave the children behind which they would need something to eat. Knowing how to cook would save them from feeling hungry, and it would help them eat whatever food they may crave.

What skills are needed for your hobby? How long did it take you to learn? Are you self-taught, or did someone teach you the hobby? Did you go on a course to learn?

The skills needed for cooking are simply these skills:

• **Heat control: ** You should know how to adjust cooking gas, burner, or oven temperatures to a minimal level so your food doesn't get burnt.

• Knife Handling: When preparing your ingredients, you need a sharp knife and proper grip to cut, onion, tomatoes, for pealing and cutting food.

• Seasoning and flavor balancing: Adding salt, seasoning, and spices at the right time.

• Basic Cooking methods: Starting with the foundation like boiling, sautéing, roasting, and braising.

I take me, about 2 years to learn this. My mother taught me how to cook local foods like my tribal foods, but as for other foods, I taught myself and watched some videos online on how to cook them.

Is the hobby expensive to do? How much does it cost?

I have never paid anyone or an institution money to learn how to cook. However, cooking is kind of expensive and stressful, and the expense is based on the kind of food that is to be cooked. Some foods require a lot of ingredients.

If you do not have a hobby, is there a hobby you would really like to start?

Yes, since I already know how to cook, I would really like to learn and start baking. I like Pastry activities, but I don't know how to bake things, which I would like to learn as a hobby to add to the cooking hobby that I already have.

What is preventing you from getting going?

I am thinking of opening a restaurant, but what is preventing me from opening a restaurant right now is money. I need capital to start a restaurant business, even if I wouldn't be the one doing the cooking. I just love the area of life where cooking and food are involved.