The Joy of Cooking

I  believe that food is meant to be enjoyed. It is meant to be shared with family, friends, and loved ones and washed down with a nice glass of vino. No matter your background, culture, where you come from, or who you want to be, food can be a shared passion that unites us and makes us forget all our worries. 

I don't believe in diets or denying myself the food I love. I work in an industry where body shape is constantly scrutinized and food becomes more of a stressful object. Gluten and dairy are frowned upon. Someone once told me "she's getting over the flu and she looks fantastic." The words made me cringe as I silently nodded my head while dreaming of eating a pizza. Food makes me happier than size 2 pants ever will.

Do I wish I had rock hard abs like Jlo? Of course I do. But would I choose them over a bowl of cheesy pasta? Absolutely not. 

Food is comforting. And in a time of uncertainty, there's nothing wrong with seeking comfort in food. While I generally do eat healthy, a salad just doesn't quite bring that comfort while it seems the world is ending in 2020 (wildfires in Australia, COVID-19, Murder Hornets, what's next?). Now is the perfect time to experiment with different cuisines, flavors, and complicated recipes I wouldn't have attempted before. 

Cooking keeps me on a routine. While ordering food from a variety of delivery services is a godsend when I'm not feeling up to it, cooking during a pandemic is the one thing I can control. It's sometimes the one productive thing I do each day. It gets me off my couch after a day of pondering what the new normal will look like as I remember that I have a menu to stick to. Feeding a sourdough starter is like feeding a pet I'm responsible for. 

Cooking enhances the food I eat. It allows me to slowly enjoy the food before it even hits the plate—the smell lingers in my kitchen as I experiment with herbs until the dish is just right. Cooking brings people to the kitchen (aka Nick) to aw at what's happening. He sits at the breakfast bar with a glass of wine to watch me chop, saute, and spill ingredients everywhere. A container of takeout doesn't achieve that. 

Diving into the final product is thrilling (look at what I made!) while soft music plays in the background (maybe some Frank Sinatra to go with that hearty pasta or Vance Joy with some roasted chicken). We talk about what makes the dish good and what could be changed for the next time. Then we head back to the couch with our bellies full and our hearts happy.

It's the small things.