FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — Making dessert is one of the joyful memories of Jesse Hill's childhood.
Now, he does it for a living with a dish he invented. It's called "The Bom."
"The first time someone tasted it, they said, 'That's the bomb' and I said, 'That's the name,'" Hill explained. "The Bom is similar to a cheesecake, but it's not a cheesecake. It has a cream cheese nougat."
His "Boms" feature more than 30 flavors like Blackberry, Lemon Coconut, Pumpkin Spice, and Caramel Apple to name a few.
The idea came about during one of the most challenging times of his life. Jesse spent 21 years in prison, starting at the age of 14.
"When I was a child and did the stuff I did, I did not know how to care. I was careless. Reckless. No idea about life," Hill shared. "I didn't know how to care about anything."
Hill said he wished he would have had a positive male influence or a mentor, someone to let him know they cared.
As an adult, Jesse found inner resolve and began pursuing a purpose, while still behind bars.
"I just started reading. I didn't comprehend, but I was thirsty for knowledge," Hill said. "In my mind, I wasn't a loser, but I made a bad choice and I had to figure out who I was."
And that's exactly what happened when a fellow inmate asked him to make a dessert. With no oven and few ingredients, he decided to master the microwave
"I started breaking down the science of food. If I didn't have flour, we have bread so how can I extract flour from bread," Hill explained. "I can show you a red velvet cake I made using bread."
On Instagram, he became known as the Microwave Kang. And it shows all of his creations made using the fast cooking machine. Everything from fried fish to banana pancakes.
Today, less than a year since leaving prison, he's the owner of JessReal cuisine and stays busy with pop ups and custom orders.
While talking about his past isn't easy, what drives him is the possibility of making a difference.
"It's time for people to know where I come from. I've been through some of the worst of the worst being 14 and being incarcerated. The reason why I wanted to share my story, I want to inspire people," Hill shared. "I want to let kids know they don't have to go down the road I went down. You don't have to settle for being a criminal or being a title that someone puts on you."
Jesse Hill's "Boms" are available by custom order or you can find him at a pop up in the Auburn Mall starting Friday, Dec. 9th.
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