I have never been very interested in cooking or baking. I still am not. This article is not about me discovering my true passion. I have baked cookies and cakes with a few of my friends, which was fun and rewarding (as the baked goods were successfully delicious, if I may say so myself). But I was never very interested in concocting some amazing meal, unlike my father who is quite an experimenter with food. I am no Rachael Ray or Julia Child.
But I think it’s important for me – for those of us who have the tools – to learn how to cook.
I’ve heard people say that they are awful at cooking, that they’re the stereotypical burn-the-kitchen-down types. They don’t know what ingredients will go together and what utensils to use. I’d just like to say that you don’t need to be a born chef to learn. According to Chef Gusteau from "Ratatouille," anyone can cook (even a rat, according to Pixar).
I, for one, think that recipes are the way to go for unprofessionals like me. Recipes are so easily accessible – not only from books but also online. There are recipe apps for tablets and phones. Some apps even allow you to keep a shopping list of all the ingredients you want to buy for a certain delicious recipe. There is Pinterest, which is an easy and popular way to find all types of wonderful meals (trust me, I’ve scrolled through my Pinterest with a watering mouth looking at those recipes). There are even videos online which show you step by step how to make an amazing meal. You don’t have to go all out and make a fancy, gourmet meal – there are definitely recipes out there that manage to be easy and delicious all at the same time. I don’t think it’s all that hard as long as you follow the steps and focus on making the dish instead of on 20 different things at the same time.
My opinion is that it’s important for us to learn how to use recipes and cook, because many of us can’t always depend on someone else to cook for us and we can’t spend money on restaurants all the time either. If we learn how to make our own meals, we can put together things that are both healthy and scrumptious. And of course we can make an occasional delicious dessert to indulge our taste buds.
That’s just my opinion. We also have to put a little bit of effort into making a meal, and as I can be a bit lazy when it comes to food, I don’t see myself cooking every day for the rest of my life. So I totally understand if you read this article and are just like, “Nope, I’m just going to stick with my pizza.” But I personally would like to make some of my own meals in the future because I think it can be fun if I put my mind to it. And I know that after I’ve made some sort of meal or baked good – even if it’s from a recipe – I am always thrilled when it’s a success.
If you love cooking – go on being you. I love eating the fantastic creations of people who can cook well. And if you don’t – that’s OK. I don’t love cooking. It’s not at all my talent, but I know I can do it and it can be an enjoyable thing to do. Maybe you might find it enjoyable too.
