My kitchen - Javiera Contreras (24)

“I started cooking when I was a girl, when my mother wanted something sweet in the afternoon and asked me to make her cakes. Since she always made them without a prescription, they were horrible for me because, for pastries, you have to be precise in the measurements.

My dad encouraged me to keep trying in the kitchen because he is the one who enjoys my recipes the most. I started to really cook more when I moved from Los Andes to Santiago to live alone. I think it was out of necessity, I get creative with what is in the house and I use all the ingredients to put together the dishes.

Although I like it, I don't feel I have the gift of cooking. But it is a moment that I treasure, especially when I am alone and there is silence. For me, the kitchen is the most important space in the house. Not only because of what it has meant in my life, but because I feel that it is a place that unites and I love that”.