Why Should We Cook At All?
The kitchen is easy to avoid. Available alternatives are everywhere - some seem healthy, some seem economical, most are even made to seem easier. I should start by telling you that I expect to rant a little here.
We all know that preservatives are not good for us, right? Preservatives are only in foods that are preserved, which is ALL FOOD unless you make your food at home out of things that are not preserved. How often are you doing this? It’s rhetorical. I’m not judging you. I just know enough about food to hardly ever want to eat. I do not suggest that you jump all the way over here with me.
So, the benefits of preserved food [which includes anything pre-made, and DOES include most restaurants’ food too, I’m sorry to tell you. Mostly not the local ones, but definitely those other guys, ya know.]… Obviously everything about this is easier. It’s pre-made, and in almost every case, could be delivered to your door within the hour. Saving you time, obviously, because all you have to do is order something to sustain you and your family for a while longer today. What else? Okay, that’s a really good benefit.
So why should we cook at all?
Well, there is the poetry of a dishes’ creation, if you’re into that sort of thing. Just me? Okay.
There’s the fact that your food has flavor because it’s made with fresh vegetables, herbs, and fruits that still have the bounce and vigor of a young leaping lord worth singing about. And with the wave of your fairydusting fingers, it is created perfectly for your palate - literally no one else in the world can do this for you.
Not to also mention that THIS is the only way that your food will ever have the opportunity to know what it means to be made FOR YOU completely, from hunger to concept realized. And do we really want to deprive our food of this honor? Also, if money is a factor, buying real things in bulkish amounts is the way to go. It’s been proven. I’ll talk about it some other time.
And to the cook’s surprise so much more will come than just the feeling of fullness - it is a feeling of empowerment and accomplishment that finds a clean kitchen at the same time as a finished meal.
I know what this sounds like? I can’t bring myself to delete it though. But look, that’s not what this is about. I’m telling you very seriously, it does not matter which person in a household has which role in a household. You should all cook together. You should all clean together. You should all make food with love together. And one of you, after a few very important test runs, should season. Just kidding. You’ll have to teach the others eventually.
WHY SHOULD YOU EAT…
Seared U-10 Scallops
served with Bacon & Butternut Hash,
Grilled Asparagus & Vidalia Onions,
topped with a
Sage Brown Butter Vinaigrette?
OR
Slow Roasted Duck Confit
with Roasted Potatoes, Mushrooms, Onions, and Peppers?
OR
Jambalaya on the bayou?
Because good food should make your mouth water. Honestly, it should make you feel like you’ve done something wrong. Like you should thank someone or apologize BECAUSE IT WAS SO GOOD.
Just because we have to eat doesn’t mean that we should create a habit to find convenience more important than knowing that we deserve to ingest goodness that is made with love. Food that’s created with excitement and delight. Food that treats you well because it is made well by the hands of someone who loves you. That energy transfers, and feeds not just your body but also your sweet soul. It really does man.
There is plenty to know about the food industry. Feel free to watch some documentaries if you’re into it. That’s not what this is about. Although, don’t expect any of our menus to feature the chicken. The fact is, our lives change when we make food out of actual food for ourselves and for our people.
I do not know what this is. It sure is pretty though. Food styling at its finest. I want to eat it, although I don’t eat eggs and I have no idea what else is in that bowl. Really impressive.
Watch this goodness, if you’re feeling the jambalaya vibe. It’s a long one. Make it to two minutes, where the yo-yo comes out. Ahhh, the eighties. There’s nostalgia in sound that makes you listen with a lean-in. Fats Domino, ladies and gentlemen!
