Why I Cook?

Why DO I cook? That’s a question I’ve been asked many times, yet each time I struggle to find that “just right” answer.  I struggle because there simply isn’t just ONE right answer – for me or for anyone who loves to cook. 

I feel confident in saying I wasn’t raised in a food-centric or a “chefy” house.  My parents, both cooked wonderful meals, but they were not passionate about food the way I am.  Our mealtimes were comprised of recipes their moms had taught them, recipes that were homey and tasty (things I didn’t fully appreciate at the time).  But just because those meals weren’t exotic or full of ingredients not commonly found in 1970 homes, doesn’t mean my childhood didn’t/doesn’t inspire me.  I mean, let’s face it, all of us can say with certainty that many of our fondest memories from our youth are tied to food.  Whether it’s gathering around the table for a holiday meal, going to a baseball game and eating your first ballpark hot dog or coming home at lunchtime on a snowy school day to a steaming bowl of homemade potato soup. And yes, even being forced to choke down those foods we thought were going to kill us…asparagus, brussel sprouts, or for me…peas!!  All of those memories are embedded into our minds and hearts. And whether we realize it or not, those memories make their way into our lives in some form or fashion.  So when I cook today, I know that my memories are feeding my passion and my creativity.  I let those memories “tangibilize” into something real and uniquely me.  That’s why I cook.

I now have a family, friends and a life of my own.  While food has not been a central part of my “adult” world since day one of leaving the safety of my parents’ home, year after year it becomes a little bit more important to me.  When the kids were younger (now older and on their own) I took great pleasure in exposing them to new flavors outside of the chicken nuggets and mac and cheese their friends were eating.  Yes, at the time they may have said they hated me for not being like so and so’s mom who made the BEST grilled cheese!  Yet today their pallet is broader than most adults and I take great pride in knowing I’m the reason for that.  I fed them lobster bisque and clam chowder on those snowy days.  I taught them the beauty and simplicity of fresh homemade pasta.  And, much to the displeasure of our checkbook, I coaxed them into ordering off the adult menu at a very early age.  When my friends come to visit I try to make them feel welcome in our home by feeding them made-with-love dishes.  Often times I’ve even been known to expose them to new flavors as well!  Frankly speaking, as for my kids I have given the next generation memories that will become their own. Hopefully they are already taking those memories into their own adult lives. To my friends I have given shared experiences that I hope they will file away and pull out of their hearts with a smile long after I’m gone. That’s why I cook.

I said earlier that my cooking “bug” has grown deeper and more important over the years.  It is a part of what literally defines who I am.  Cooking for others is a part of my “just right” answer, but the other part of the equation is the true root of why I love to cook.  It is the “cooking for ME” part.  That quiet time in the kitchen alone…listening to music and drinking a glass of cabernet!  If you knew me at all you’d know that I am by nature a structured person.  I like order, organization and absolutes.  But cooking (and I mean cooking, not baking) is anything but absolute.  A recipe to one can be yet a totally different dish to another.  Cooking is my time to take a break.  It’s when I can do whatever I want.  I can find inspiration, imagine different paths to take with flavors/ingredients/presentation and, in the end, literally put a piece of myself on a plate.  I’m not always successful but even in those “oops” moments there are rewards.  How can I fix this?  What would I do differently?  What would Alex Guarnaschelli (my favorite tough-as-nails modern day chef!) do?  I challenge myself to be better, to think outside the lines, and to not allow complacency – things all of us should never stop doing for ourselves.  That’s why I cook.

So see, no ONE “just right” answer!  I guess the closest I’ve seen to a true summation was in, of all places, a Swanson Chicken Stock magazine ad! It unpretentiously read:

Why I Cook…To feed creativity…To show my love…Because I love food...To feel like an artist…Because my kitchen is my sanctuary…To unleash my inner chef...Because a new ingredient is like a new toy…To remind me of home.

Yup, that’s it.  That’s Why I Cook!