The Joy of Cooking
Ah, cooking! It’s a hobby of mine that has always interested me. For context, I grew up in a Jamaican household, where food was a huge part of the culture. My mother didn’t teach me how to cook; not because she didn’t want to, but because it seemed as if I only had an interest in EATING rather than cooking. It’s true, I DO love eating! Especially indulging in food from different cultures! But as a child, I was interested in cooking! I just didn’t have the guts to ask my mother to teach me (…but why? I’ll figure it out as I continue to get to know myself, I guess).
That said, I would always observe my mother and other people while they cooked. Why did she let the kidney beans soak for hours before she cooked it? Why did he add salt to the pot before adding pasta after the water boiled? Questions like these flooded my mind all the time, but I never set out to answer them because of having a packed schedule as a minor so I didn’t have time to experiment… that, and I felt powerless in my mother’s kitchen because she can THROW DOWN.
Fast forward to college. After my sophomore year, I moved into apartments off campus with some friends. That meant no meal plans to eat at the dorms, which meant I had to cook my own meals. Now, hear me when I say this: cooking is a LIFE skill. I believe every human should know how to cook at least the most basic of foods like eggs, rice, etc. You don’t have to enjoy the process and the food doesn’t need to be good (unless you’re cooking for others… gotta have some respect) but I think it’s a skill all people should know to survive without having to eat out all the time.
Luckily for me… I found out I loved to cook! Those years of observation served me well, as I was all about honing my craft and making the best food I could make. The latter half of the last statement is important: I love cooking for others more than I love cooking for myself or for the sake of cooking. Because of that fact, I hold my cooking to the highest standard. Not Michelin chef standards, obviously, for I am just a mere commoner to their royal skills. Even so, I can produce quality meals for the people I love. I see cooking as an art form, like drawing. What spices mix well together? Can I marinate meat in salad dressing? How can I make sure chicken breast doesn’t end up dry, but is cooked all the way through? It’s a lot of experimentation, just like trying to figure out which colors work well together on a character I draw. Finding out what works to create a meal that is enjoyable for the people I love is one of the purest forms of joy for me.
This was supposed to be a shorter post, but again, I’m a storyteller. With ADHD. I left out a ton of details too, but until I can get my point across without using so many words, this is what you have to deal with (if you choose to, that is). Anyway, let me share a few foods I love to cook.
I don’t remember to take photos of my cooking process and end results as often as I would like, but I think that’s a good thing. I don’t need to post my food creations all the time for everyone to see. There’s something beautiful about cooking a good meal and not showcasing it for clout. But I am happy to share just a little piece of who I am with you all; thank you for reading!
Actually, let me share one more thing:
I did NOT make this pizza from scratch but bought it from the grocery store last night. Silly ol’ me almost burned my apartment building down because I forgot to take the cardboard under the pizza off before I baked it… I’m posting this now so I’m still alive, thank God!