Love

Currently I am listening to a simmering pot on the stove. Fennel, cabbage, tomato, carrots, onions, and rice soup! Wait what? For me eating is extremely emotional. The Frankensteinian concoction that is currently bubbling is the result of a chaotic week that culminated into an explosion. However, this soup is a reminder to breathe, be patient, and unearth the joy that is temporarily covered in a light dusting of snow.

I would like to bring light to the fact that cooking can be an emotional journey in itself.
No matter what the recipe you begin from scratch. Raw ingredients that are quite ordinary by themselves. You are their master, their boss. Now you begin to wash/peel/cut/slice/pour/sprinkle the ingredients. Once the prep work is done you begin to follow a set of steps. Maybe you follow the recipe precisely, or you add a little something just at the last second. Then you mix all of the pieces together, and something magical happens. Whether you are sautéing and the juice from the mushrooms helps caramelize the onions, or the honey creates a sort of glassy glaze over your almonds and brie, a change is happening. This transformation is yours, and yours alone. No one else can take this from you. Maybe you will sit in a corner and devour the entire thing by yourself, or maybe you are hoping to impress a your boss, either way a surge of pride rushes through you as you take the first bite. It is here that all of the mundane aspects of cooking, become well worth it.

I think that a result of cooking and the transformation that ensues is love. Cooking in the form of self- love is making something that is going to nourish your body and soul. Making you feel good about yourself. Spreading love through cooking you're creating for others. Feeding your families/friends/co- workers/neighbors. Food is full of powerful warmth and affection. It took me a long time to realize that bringing over a casserole to someone that is in mourning over a lost loved one is about more than just saving that person time in the kitchen. It is about presenting to that person a comforting piece of food that will engulf them with love.

As you make your meals this week try to take time out of your busy schedule to make one meal that you can really be proud of, and share it with someone else. In other words- spread some love through food.