Why do I cook?

My co-workers and friends used to ask me how I can cook so much- as in everyday. Duh… don’t we eat everyday? But of course, you don’t really have to cook to eat. There’s always a place for takeouts and if you are blessed with someone who will cook for you, why would you? But I just love cooking and I think I’d still be in the kitchen just for the sheer fun of it and to try new recipes- with or without anyone feeding me. I realized through the years that I can really cook tasty meals just following recipes and even come up with some original ones. Whenever I taste something that happens to titillate my taste buds and knowing I could still make it better by adjusting some of the ingredients or making changes here and there- I will definitely challenge myself to do that.

Yet sometimes there’s not enough time to cook and you just grab what’s in your fridge and whip up whatever is easy and quick. And there are dishes so simple yet tasty that could earn you brownie points when you serve them and leaves you chuckling in disbelief- wow, just for that? Fresh ingredients and spices are vital to a successful dish along with the right temperature and cooking time so that vegetables do not lose their color and nutrients as well. How horrible is it to see blood oozing from your meat because it wasn’t cooked properly? I’ve experienced baking a sponge cake that did not rise and deflated mini cheesecakes. I obviously did something wrong somehow and that’s always part of the journey to making things better.

Cooking brings a certain kind of excitement to me and the appreciation from the people I serve my food to gives fulfillment and a certain kind of joy. The smiles and requests for second helpings of whatever I make confirm I did a nice job and I’m just happy. Never in my life did I feel cooking is an obligation or sacrifice. Cooking is fun and I love it! And I feed to please :-)