Aside from the usual aspects of cooking — the colors, textures and fragrances, like the aroma of herbs diffusing the kitchen when the clap of the knife meets the wooden board over a bundle of basil, cilantro or mint. . .or being engulfed by the tangy pucker of citrusy scented zest as you separate the lemon, lime or orange peel off into little silken threads. . .or you see the free form art of yellow bell peppers alongside magenta beets and then some pale green Kirby cucumbers. . .or you hear the sizzle of hot olive oil when a clove of garlic makes contact with the pan. . .or you move the lid off a pot of boiling pasta and are hit in the face by the warmth of the steam as the condensation wafts through the air. . .not to mention the pleasure on your palette and joy in your heart when you sit down to the table and share and taste all the delightful food creations. . .
Aside from all this, for me the capacity of one thing to morph into another is part of the adventure of the kitchen.
It is a time and place for transformation.
Now it may be a strawberry, a bar of butter, a bottle of cream, a sack of flour or a bag of sandy sugar, but mix a little of this and a little of that and soon, very soon, it will be a strawberry shortcake or strawberries and cream, or strawberry jam — whatever you want it to be.
Given the uncertainty that is part and parcel of life, there is something to be said for the comfort and solace of being moored in a kitchen.
It can be your little intimate space where, when life gets overwhelming and you are not in control, it can be a place to turn for sorting out thoughts or emotions, for slowing down the pace a bit and taking life by your own two hands.
Instead of eating on the run or grabbing a bite to eat just to quiet my growling stomach, when I prepare my own food I feel the force of my energy and intentions in caring for and nourishing myself, my friends or loved ones.
Cooking becomes an experience that I can feel and touch, a satisfying feeling that connects me to a sense of abundance in life, to the possibilities in life.
YES, there is the magic of the kitchen alchemy. Cooking is part adventure for the mystery of how foods change, part nurture for the security, solace and control, and part pleasure — for the sheer fun of it. And so, I find cooking soothing and therapeutic.
Some events in my life I cannot shepherd so easily from one stage to another, but here I can. By turning to my very own two hands, here I can produce the results I would like — creating, nourishing, sharing and bringing joy to others.
So when I am gathering different ingredients for food in the kitchen it becomes the conduit for gathering more than just that. You are gathering people, gathering a sense of plenty, a sense of nourishment. And yes, a sense of magical fun and mystery. Despite expecting a certain outcome, you don’t know for sure just exactly how it will all turn out . . .
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