Foodies Unite!

I've always been a big fan of food. Whether it's my mom's homecooked meal or some produce fresh from the garden; no food beats homemade, homegrown, real, pure food. Convenience foods can have a place in our diets - albeit a very small place ;). The thing I love most about cooking is that you can craft your food to pure levels of perfection. When you are the one putting it together, you don't have to worry about preservatives and unknown chemicals or insects and dirt. You know what is in it, because you put it in it. You don't have to wait for research to be conducted to know if it is safe to consume, because it's real food; and people have been eating that for thousands of years.

Let's be honest. I'm not a chef (or anything close to it), but I practically grew up in the kitchen. My mom cooked, my dad cooked, my grandparents cooked - I didn't know anything but cooking. I'm not sure where it started - maybe it somewhere in the over 40 foods projects that I entered in 4-H - I began viewing food as an art. I've always been a sucker for art and beauty, so maybe it was just my way of fitting cooking into my concept of myself. Whatever the reason, I love cooking. Cooking is my way of relaxing. I let go of all the stress and just focus on the food. 

I think everyone should cook. Some people are scared of cooking because they think that it is too complicated or that they don't have enough time. The great thing about cooking is it can be tailored to your level of expertise. If you are just starting out, you should start simple. There are thousands of great tasting recipes that are extremely simple and easy to make. If you've been cooking a little longer and want to challenge yourself, step it up a notch and try making something a little more complex. No matter where you are on the spectrum, the important thing is that you are cooking. As with the rest of life, you probably won't be perfect at first. I mean, I still make mistakes. Sometimes when I'm experimenting with new things, they taste horrible. They get burnt. My bread falls. Remember that you are learning; the times that I've improved the most at cooking are the times that I have made a mistake, and went straight back to the kitchen and tried it again. 

Another beautiful aspect of food is it's unique way to bring us together. Food is an intimate part of our lives, and when we experience it with other people it brings us closer together. Whether it's spending time in the kitchen with your children, or enjoying a simple meal with friends; food is bringing us closer together and building relationships. 

So what are you waiting for? Let's cook together!