About the Kilig-ologist:
The Basics
Hi! My name is Jesse. I’m a Filipino-American born and raised in Houston.
My life mostly consists of me trying to balance juggling a full-time librarian job, part-time job, graduate school, weightlifting…and now running this at-home baking business. Despite my chaotic schedule, I’m always looking for the “kilig” moments in life, even if it’s not in a romantic context (lol).
Getting Into Baking
Mom and Dad are both crazy good cooks when it comes to a Filipino menu.
Unfortunately, I didn’t inherit any of those cooking skills from them.
But what I did inherit was Mom’s love for baking the finest Filipino desserts and my Dad’s meticulousness to everything he invests his time into. And these all play into me becoming a baker…
Back in 2010, when I was fresh out of college and there was a teacher hiring freeze, I was really discouraged about not being able to find a teacher job. I was able to get hired as a teacher aide at a school that my cousin was working at though that year. One day, she took me to my first cupcakery - and I remember asking, ”Why would I want a cupcake? And why are people freaking lining up for this?” My mindset changed as soon as I took my first bite of the strawberry cupcake. It was cake...but it was a special cake. After that, I wanted to find a way to replicate cupcakes like that, and at the same time, get my mind off the situation about not getting a teacher job. My workplace and youth group then became my testing grounds. I eventually got a teacher job (and there was the whole becoming a librarian thing), but baking remained a regular thing.
When I moved to Spring, TX, I started the first version of this business: Jesse’s Baked Goods (I just needed something to put on the stickers). I spent a lot of time figuring out new cakes, cookies, and french macarons. The best part of this endeavor was seeing customers get giddy over baked goods. Then 2020 came around, and COVID happened. What was supposed to be only a short break turned into a 3 year hiatus.
Fast forward to the present day, and my dumb gluttonous ass is getting back into the baking scene.
So now here we are with Kilig-ology!
Why…Kilig-ology?
Okay, brace yourself for a mini essay (I blame this on me being in grad school mode at the moment):
Life can get crazy - work, school, relationships, etc. It’s easy to get lost in the mess of it all and lose sight of what is beautiful and good.
But we have to pause, take a breather, and find the kilig things in life.
Kilig moments are those special moments in life that make you feel fluttery or giddy. It can be anything from a romantic gesture from a loved one to a simple act of kindness from a stranger. These moments help us appreciate the small things in life and remind us to be grateful for what we have.
Kilig moments can also inspire us to create more joy and happiness in our lives and in the lives of those around us. They can motivate us to be kinder, more compassionate, and more loving towards others.
Thus came along Kilig-olog: the study of kilig. I’m constantly looking (or studying (ba-dum)) for what brings kilig in life, especially for other people. Kilig comes in different forms - it could be from watching your favorite K-Drama, seeing your secret crush in class, or even reaching a new deadlift PR at the gym. Kilig is different for everyone.
But honestly, I think we can all agree on this: there’s always kilig in a delicous cookie. And I want to bring you that “oh, so kilig!” feeling with the best cookies.