Why I Cook

   Cooking for me isn't just about feeding myself, or my family.  For me, it is an outlet for creativity and expression.  People who truly care about cooking and food, don't just cook to fill bellies.  They sauté to inspire.  They bake to bring comfort.  They kneed, to make others feel cared for.  They flambé to evoke a smile and the telltale moan of ecstasy.  They stir because at times a pot, a spoon, and a stove top are their only safe place.  They julianne because controlling a knife and a vegetable may be the only thing they can control.   They cook to make people understand them through their food, when at times they are unable to reveal themselves in any other way.  They cook because they must. 
   Cooking is a language of its own to these people, myself being one of them.  It is a language that is sweet and spicy, bitter and tangy, savory and rich.  The kitchen is a land full of promise, excitement.  A place of experimentation and discovery.  Recipes set the story, tales of magical, faraway lands, full of exotic and exciting flavors.  The ingredients, unique characters, all begging to be the star of the next dishes story.  
  Cooking for me isn't just about providing nourishment.  It's about communicating, escaping, controlling, experimenting, learning, and understanding.  So the next time you are making a meal, don't just throw stuff in a pot until it's ready.  Introduce yourself to the characters, listen to their stories, see the kitchen before you as a place of potential, and find yourself lost in its language.  But above all, try to understand what it means to openly, freely, and unabashedly cook.  

-Cait