Pilot and chef Peter Abreu has a love for flying, cooking and video games, interlacing all three in his most recent project with publishing company JobJobLLC, Three Courses. Inspired by the tactical RPG Fire Emblem: Three Houses, the cookbook brings the world of Fódlan’s dishes to life with recipes of the meals players can see and share with characters in the game.
Abreu, 27, said that while growing up, video games were a form of escapism. Helping him cope with bullying during his time at school, games such as Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade allowed Abreu to foster new friendships. Besides being a distraction from the everyday, Abreu also explained the familial ties he had with some games such as The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, which he played with his mother.
“Video games have always been a big passion of my life,” he said, sharing that his top three favorites would be The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, Golden Sun and Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade. “I feel like whenever I need a good pick-me-up, I'll pick up a game that I've played in the past, like Golden Sun or Fire Emblem.”
During his free time in high school, Abreu started his video game-inspired cooking channel, Pwnapplez, blending his passions for video games with food.. Over time, the channel gained traction, and the money made from the videos was donated to the Alzheimer’s Association — a cause he says he feels deeply for after losing his grandfather to the disease.
“I'm really passionate about the fight against Alzheimer's, and I don't think any person should go through having it or watch[ing] a loved one go through it,” Abreu said. “I hope I'm alive to see a day where Alzheimer’s is no longer a disease that will terrorize people.”
Inspired by the idea that food is a “universal bridge” that can bring people together, he said that while someone may not understand a person’s religion, ideas, or practices, they can taste their food and learn more about them and their cultural identity. Growing up, he said that his mother and grandmother would focus more on Italian dishes whilst his father would specialize in both breakfast dishes and Cuban food — his favorite being ropa vieja.
Abreu recalls his time at college being another push to get into cooking, channeling homesickness into motivation to recreate the meals he loved growing up. While he was able to bring the flavors of his home with him in college, Abreu said that he is happy with that chapter of his life is over and that he resides in New York again, describing college as when a wilting plant comes back to life.
With that analogy, Abreu shared how gardening was another passion. “It’s a fascinating feeling of growing something and then watching it wilt and die before your eyes, but you get to experience a grace period of beauty and tranquility, and it makes you appreciate life more and realize that we're only here for a short period of time,” he said. “There's a lily that's growing between the bricks here, and that gives you the mentality of, ‘there's going to be rough patches in life where you have to twist and turn, but you can break through and then hit the sun,’ and then just bloom the brightest and as beautiful as you can. If you can bloom and just be that flower and radiate that beauty to people, I think you can bring a little bit of happiness and joy to the world.”
Interweaving his interests in food and learning about different cultures, Abreu said that his interest in being a pilot as a career started when he was a kid. “One of my favorite all-time cooks was Anthony Bourdain and his show, Parts Unknown, where he would travel, eat with the people there and understand their culture,” he said. “That always inspired me to want to do that and be a pilot, and be able to travel just to go to different cultures.”
Abreu said that his two main takeaways for those who view his content are that anyone can cook and that people should follow their passions.
“Don't pass up opportunities that might come your way because you never know where they’ll take you — if there's something you really want to do in life, do it. Don't worry about how long it's going to take you to do it, at the end of the journey it's going to be really rewarding,” he said. “Do what you want to do in life — if you want to stream on Twitch, don't worry about the numbers. Don't worry about if you get ten people watching the stream because that's still ten fucking people, and that's an accomplishment. Don't worry about the people with the million views and all that, just do it and appreciate the little achievements, because those add up over time.”
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