Why don’t you…?

It never fails when I go out to cook at someone’s home for a dinner or gathering, I end up being asked why I don’t open a restaurant, my reply is always “Because it would be work then” it then seems the next question is usually “Do you cater?”  I seem to always get a certain odd look of what I can only assume is a slightly uncomprehending understanding which I know sounds like an oxymoron but that’s the kind of odd look I see when I answer in the negative. While I’ve done a small amount of catering it is not why I cook.  How do you explain that you do what you out of love of passing along what you have learned to help others avoid the same pitfalls you have stumbled into?  That you love showing others what you have come across for no other reason that you can’t wait to see that same spark of fire begin to smolder and flame in one who is as interested with the same subject.  That you are one who does not do what they do for money, that it really is about the love of the art of cooking and the ability to share with friends.

I spent a day with the Hungry Neophyte and Kentucky Fried Chick this weekend and had one of the most enjoyable days of cooking I have had since having surgery.  Hour upon hour of cooking, laughing, story telling, and eating.  Oh the eating….and the laughing!  H.N & K.F.C. were so kind in allowing me come in and do my thing in their Kitchen…a kitchen to be a bit envious of if you ask me.  While K.F.C. has been privy to my various cooking email with H.N. this was my first face to face encounter with K.F.C. and what a good time I had talking and laughing with K.F.C.  It was like Christmas and my Birthday all rolled up into one.  The emails were flying thick and fast on Friday afternoon as we toss out suggestions on what to cook and what we would be doing with our “cooking play date.” And yes it was a bit hard to go to sleep the night before as I was so excited to finally get together with K.F.C.

We ended up doing a Chicken Marsala dinner, a lesson on how to properly steam milk for a cappuccino and from the Blog making meatballs.   Seeing the light bulb of understanding go “off” and the look of sheer pleasure with that first bite of food as the varied flavors  flood ones taste buds is one of the things I live for…I explained to K.F.C. that “that look” is why I do what I do.  It’s the one of the main reasons I cook for others, for that look of bliss that comes over a diner’s face as they consume what is placed before them.

So you see it’s not for the money or really the notoriety that comes from being a half way decent cook it’s all for the ability to bring a bit of eating pleasure to others.   To open the door to a different take on a dish, to show someone an easier or better way to do something, to remove the timidness to jump in and be bold in one’s cooking. To stop relying on the same old thing for dinner yet again.  To help push others to stretch beyond their comfort zone of what has become a rut.  That is why I do what I do.

So be inspired to step out of that comfort zone, attempt something new this week, try an ingredient you have been looking at for a while, go beyond your normal everyday hum drum cooking.  Cook for the love of cooking not just for something to check off on the list of things to accomplish in the day.  Find your passion for good food be it made simply or involved doesn’t matter just cook with passion and a sense of accomplishment.   Don’t worry if it is not perfect you are just going to eat it anyway, maybe next time you will hit the mark square on or at least get a bit closer.  Work and tweak until you have the best offering you can present.  Find a mentor you can question to your heart’s content one who will help guide you along this cooking pathway, someone who will kick you in the backside and tell you to step up your game, that you can do better.  Someone who will take your flop and help you pick it apart so that you can improve upon your efforts the next time you attempt that item again.  But you don’t understand WikiJan…OH yes I do you are looking at flop central for this last week.  Those who know me in real life know that it is not normal for me to pass along a food item that is not as close to perfect as possible, well not only did I (unbeknownst to me) not do that but I didn’t do it in the BIGGEST way EVER!  But after discussing the major flop with K.F.C.  I tried yet again with success this time.  Even WikiJan benefits from a bit of guidance at times as well.  So step out this week, challenge yourself  bump up the bar of your cooking a notch and see what you didn’t think you could do then come back here and get your brag on!

Now go play with your food~

WikiJan