The Joy of (Real) Cooking

I love my time in the kitchen. It’s meditative when I cut vegetables. It’s creative as I explore recipes and new dishes. It’s healing, because I use fresh, real, plant-based, anti-inflammatory foods. It supports local farmers whenever I can. It’s interesting as I play with new spices and herbs. It connects me with my history, as I enjoy flavors from my ancestry, and my friends, as I try their delicious recipes.

But, there’s so much more to it.

What I didn’t mention, is that it’s also hilarious. And messy. And sometimes too garlicky, spicy, or the flavors just don’t jive. Let me explain.

This is about the joy of REAL cooking, after all. It’s not always perfect; it’s not even always very good. But it is always pretty funny. And it does bring me joy – quite a bit actually!

Have you ever had a sweet potato explode in the oven? I have. Apparently, you really do have to poke holes in it to release the pressure. It doesn’t happen every time. In fact, like skiing several runs in fresh powder, you begin to think it’s safe until the avalanche is triggered. I thought it was an old wives tale and safe to not poke holes. They don’t really explode. I got this.

And then, one innocent evening as I was cooking dinner, I heard a “POP!” I knew. Oh my gosh, I thought, it exploded. I rushed to the oven to peek inside. And sure enough, BAM – all over the oven. And by all over, I mean ALL. OVER.  All I could do, as our dinner was now going to be delayed, and I mentally rearranged my evening to make time to clean the cooled oven, was laugh. And laugh. And laugh. Until tears rolled down my face. They really do explode. Got it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lesson learned. Or was it?

Another innocent day, as we were awaiting the arrival of our good friends from Sweden, I had an eggplant in the oven to make baba ghanoush (think, roasted eggplant hummus). A delicious and healthy treat with veggies to say an Aspen, “Welcome!” I took the perfectly roasted eggplant out of the oven, and left it on the tray to cool, before blending with the chickpeas and spices. As it cooled, I heard the now familiar, “POP!” But, since it was not in an enclosed space, the eggplant flew. ALL. OVER. From the ceiling, cabinets, and drawers of the kitchen, to the closet, family room, and coat rack two rooms over. Wow!! Who knew it could happen to eggplants, too? Certainly not me. I’m still finding pieces of eggplant in my house when I clean. Reminders, I guess, so I won’t forget next time. I laugh and laugh and continue to laugh.

And yes, I have put so much (raw) garlic in a pasta sauce or salad dressing that it’s hard to overcome the overwhelming flavor. Well, it’s good for the immune system, blood pressure, cholesterol, and deliciously flavors the dish, right? And if we sweat it out for the next week, then we really know it’s working. Sure! Just stay away from everybody else. I think the neighbors must know. I can hear them from here, “Chris used too much garlic again.” Sorry!

I’ve made juices that have so much turmeric or lemon or ginger that they’re bitter or crazy sour or tear-inducing spicy! Wow, those herbs are Potent!! I’ve tasted the proof!

Lids have popped off the blender as I purée that perfect green smoothie, with the blender packed full, just as I was instructed. Whoosh! All over the counter, cabinets, ceiling. My delicious smoothie, everywhere. Bah, hah, haaaaa!!!!! Seriously? It could be the greenest, messiest, thing I’ve seen in a while – note to self; make sure the lid is on tightly. Giggle. Oops.

Rice or vegetables that stick to the pots when too dry – remember, I don’t cook with any oil, and it takes eons to get it out! Burnt oven-roasted veggies have to be trimmed to get the charred part off (no acrylamides for me! If only I didn’t keep overcooking them!), steamed veggies that are no longer crispy, now need a fresh dressing to resuscitate them.

For me, the joy of (real) cooking is not in preparing perfect and beautiful dishes every time. The joy comes in creating. Giving it my best, and seeing what I get out of it. Good or bad, it’s my work of art. I’m proud of the food I prepare – every time. I laugh when something goes awry, I high-five myself when it’s actually pretty good, and I share, when I can do it more than once, and show others that if I can do it, so can you!

What I DO know, is that this food is always healing. These amazing dishes have the power to reverse lupus and other chronic illnesses. And this brings me so much real joy.  

 

-Cover photo with Dawn Shepard, as we teach our Nourish Cooking Class. Oh, so much joy in real cooking!