This week, Layken Simmons, an Aramark employee who recently started working as a cashier in the P.O.D. Market in the Post Learning Commons, spoke with The Hawk about her love for cooking. Simmons, originally from Miami, Florida, moved to Philadelphia when she was three years old and has lived in North Philly ever since.  

What is something that you are looking forward to in this position?  

I hope to eventually be upgraded to a new position, in the dining hall or somewhere working more with food.

I work [in Campion] one day a week, on Saturdays, and I go to different stations, and each station has different opportunities that you can cook. I probably would like to work in the middle section, because there are sundaes and different desserts in the middle section.

Is cooking food something that you enjoy? 

Yes, my dad was a chef at the Hard Rock Cafe in Miami, so my interest comes from him. I can take time out for my day and just focus on preparing food. It’s a way for me to just relax.

I like to cook lasagna, but it’s not a family recipe. It’s a vegetarian dish. It has zucchini in it, and that’s one of my favorite vegetables. I like quinoa, veggies and either salmon or tilapia.

Do you have a favorite memory of cooking? 

My grandmother and I made a lemon bundt cake when I was five or six. I helped her with lemon icing, and that was one of my earliest memories of cooking.

Usually we [weren’t] allowed in the kitchen, so it was the first time I was able to cook with her. And like I said, I enjoy sweets, so the first time that I was able to cook with her, I was able to [make] a cake, which is nice and exciting at that age.

We will have holiday Christmas dinners or Thanksgiving dinners, and the rest of us get to pitch in and help.

Do you have any other hobbies? 

I like photography, mostly 35 millimeter film and I dabbled a little in digital [photography]. 

I like to shoot scenery, I rarely shoot people, but I like the scenery and nature. Everywhere in Philly is different, so it’s always something new. 

I always liked using little disposable cameras as a kid, and I saw the movie “Mimic: Sentinel” and a guy [in it] had an old camera, and I liked it so I just bought one for myself.