One of the reasons that I really love to cook and experiment with recipies is not only because of the finished product, but the 'experience' itself. Amazing food today can be found in many places. In fact, it's very easy, convenient and sometimes necessary to pick something up to eat or eat out at a restaurant. Culinary discoveries at restaurants can change your whole world and help you appreciate food. Yet, nothing replaces the 'act of cooking' in and of itself. I've been told by many people that my grandmother would come home from a long day of work and to distress she would 'have' to bake. Many people would say "she's nuts, who would want extra work after working all day?". However, to her, baking was something that helped her relax, focus, find meaning from her day. I feel the same way about cooking. Cooking can put me in a meditative state. It somehow allows me to use all my senses at once and I 'forget' about the day. It's all about consciously choosing what seasonings, herbs to add, smelling the food once it begins to reveal itself and watching all the colours and ingredients transform. When I'm making an omelette, for example, there is something soothing about hearing the eggs crack, watching the omelette bubble on the pan, smelling all the other ingredients added to make this your own, personalized omelette. Then, afterwards, when you sit down to eat, there is a sense of satisfaction and personal reward. This is one of the reasons that I love to cook for myself. I also take a lot of pride in trying an incredible meal at a restaurant and then trying to re-create it at home, sometimes giving it my own spin. It becomes a mission for me to try and guess what flavours were used, how it was made etc. Cooking is something I love because it requires all of me: all my attention, all my passion, all my creativity.
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