My Mother has always been my biggest inspiration when it comes to cooking. It was she who first introduced me to the many delights of food from all around the world, whilst never having to leave my home town. Our food preferences, alongside how we choose, prepare, tend to and cook it, can all encourage some of the most amazing dining experiences that create wonderful memories to cherish for many years to come.
You Can’t Beat Home Made Food
I consider myself to be one of those lucky children who was encouraged as a young boy to develop a powerful and healthy relationship with food. Food was never to be feared, or obsessed over in our home – rather it was to be cherished and respected. Almost every day, we would be treated to the distinct aromas of homemade dishes as we rushed to finish our homework, eager to sample the delights of my mother’s latest culinary creations.
My Mother believed that we should try foods from all over the world, so we all developed a cultural awareness of food very early on in our childhood years. My Mother attempted such wide spread dishes, and all using only the best natural ingredients she could find! Many weekends, we pounded the pavements of the local farmers markets, searching for and selecting the freshest and most diverse products that we could use to improve on the previous weeks menu.
Food Brings People Together
Once a week, my Mother would hold an open invitation to family and friends who would all congregate around our small kitchen and dining room table, eager to sample the new recipe my mother had spent her afternoon preparing. I soon learned from an early age that creating and making a meal was a great way of bringing people together to connect and share in the same experience. The power I felt at acknowledging this was immense, and I began to look forward to the day when I could create my own meals and give something back to family and friends through my home-made cooking.
Cooking Skills Through the Generations
Nowadays, I am grateful to have my own place, and more importantly my own slice of heaven; my own kitchen! Whilst most of my colleagues talk during the day about waiting for the clock to strike home time so they can head out onto the town, I can’t wait to get home to my trusty kitchen! I know that when I walk through that door, I have a choice of culinary expertise at my fingertips, and there’s nothing I like better than to get the apron on and hit the stove!
Cooking is Therapeutic
Whilst many of my friends and colleagues may laugh at my obsession with food and cooking, despite devouring everything I cook for them, I can’t describe the feeling that working in the kitchen gives me! The ability to switch off from a hard day’s work and just let my creative side take over, the sense of sheer satisfaction I get when I produce a stunning meal from just a handful of basic ingredients, but most of all the look on family members and friends faces when I introduce them to a recipe for the first time ever…
I truly believe that when you find something which makes you happy, you live a more fulfilled life because of its presence. Cooking is in my blood, and I can’t think of a better way to feed my heart, soul and mind – as well as my palate!
