Deb Peterson

Deb sitting at a table at a food truck pod
Made with love

The one food Deb wants you to try when you travel internationally

Oven mitt illustrated icon Always try the flan in different countries! It is one of my favorite desserts and I looked for it in every country I visited. I had delicious creamy flan in Greece, Spain, Egypt, and Morocco.

Fun facts about flan:

It came into existence during the Roman Empire.
Back then, most versions of the dessert were savory rather than sweet and included flavors like eel sprinkled with pepper.
Flan survived when the Roman Empire fell. The recipe was adapted and sweeter versions emerged – the Spaniards first topped theirs with caramel sauce.
Nowadays, variations of flan can be found all over the world and include ingredients such as coffee, lemon juice, dulce de leche, and more.

“To my adventures, when I was younger, an adventure became a misadventure. I got kicked out of high school and that’s how I found PCC. I spent my evenings taking a trigonometry course and, little did I know at the time, but this class would help me join the Navy. I became the first woman surveyor ever to be assigned to a coastal survey ship. I visited so many different countries and oh, the food! Every place we docked had its uniquely rich flavors. We had some really good times. Yet it was hard not to compare the scarcity of food in Haiti with the abundance of high-end restaurants in Greece. I’m back home in Oregon for my last adventure – retirement. I still think about what you’ve taught me – how access to resources can make all the difference and how being open-hearted is the only way to move through this world.”

— Deb

About Deb

Deb Peterson is a Navy veteran. After transferring from PCC, she earned her bachelor degree in business from Portland State University and worked for the US Army Corp of Engineers for 23 years before retiring. Deb has made provisions in her will for a generous scholarship endowment that will continue to support PCC students in perpetuity.