THE ART OF COOKING
After meeting someone, there is usually a defining moment or something that one needs to do before you can call them a close friend. This could be having a sleepover, meeting outside of work or school, or learning a secret that they’d tell no one else. For me, that moment is cooking for them. Ever since I was a child I’d helped in the kitchen, memories of making wontons with my parents flood my mind. The ability to create something and then be able to consume it afterward was fascinating to me, and that fascination has never left as I’ve gotten older. When I have a free day I always try to set aside time to learn a new dish or perfect an old one. While the skill of being able to cook is a useful skill to have, especially with my impending move-out, it has never been the main reason, the driving force. My love for cooking has always come from the power food has, and what creating a dish can do.
Food has always seemed magical to me. With a combination of roots and spices, the process of eating transforms from a boring task to extract nutrients, into an art, with the ability to evoke powerful emotions. An unnamed poet once mentioned that humans never needed to create the culinary arts; they did so out of the joy to create, to add beauty to everything, to take a necessity, and turn it into a labor of love. I like to think that the “witches' brews” of medieval times were simply stews. A mother's recipe passed down from generations, with the almost uncanny ability to make someone feel better after only a taste.
To me, cooking for someone is like giving them a part of yourself in a way that couldn’t be described with words. It’s the ability to put your heart into a dish, the suspense before they take that first bite, and triumph knowing they enjoyed it. There's a unique connection that forms when you share a meal you've prepared with someone else and something that can’t be replicated. It’s as if you're giving them a piece of your soul along with the plate.
As I grow older, I can only hope that this love of cooking remains. Ten years into the future, I envision myself still dedicating weekends to expanding my culinary repertoire, diving into recipes from different countries around the world. As my skills grow I know that it’s not about mastering the technical aspects of cooking or learning as many recipes as possible; it's about understanding the traditions and flavors that make each cuisine unique. Each dish tells a story of its origins, its culture, and its people. Learning a dish from a new place is more than just following a recipe; it's a journey of discovery, a way to immerse myself in the sights, smells, and tastes of distant lands. While travel is undoubtedly leagues above anything I could create, there's a special kind of magic in replicating those flavors in your kitchen. So let's bridge the gap between cultures one bite at a time.
