Cooking Demonstration

One of the things that I have liked most about being a mom has been talking to my baby. She probably doesn’t understand a single word I am saying but she pays attention to me. I know this might be one of the few times in our relationship where she is rapt with attention by what I have to say. 

So I have been taking advantage of this situation by talking to her about the most inane things (like the plots of all the movies I love) to serious things (the upcoming elections) to things that I have learned (how stretching your muscles will avoid pain in the long run and about).

Among the things I have learned is how to cook so I spend a lot of time talking through some of my favorite recipes. The first thing I talked through was how to make lentil soup. I explained how you need carrots, celery and onions because they are aromatics so they add flavor and depth to recipes. I informed her that there are many kinds of lentils and some need to cook longer than others. Then I told her my secret ingredients, which I know will be safe with her (her not speaking at this moment comes in very handy for my cooking oeuvres). 

She seemed pretty interested the first few times I cooked for her.  A number of other times, she didn’t seem as fascinated as I wanted her to be (namely because of a surprise dirty diaper).  Lately she is more mesmerized by the shiny pots and pans that hang in the kitchen. All I can say is that I tried and maybe as she gets older, she will be more intrigued by my cooking demonstrations. For now, I will just keep trying until there is a recipe that makes her mouth water and captures all her attention.

The Zen of Celery

I enjoy cooking - playing around with different components and flavors makes my brain sparkle with activity. The idea of finding a vegetable or other ingredient as a foundation for a meal warms my soul. And in these cold days nothing is more pleasurable than a wonderful bowl of soup.

It’s not so much for its temperature elevating properties in cold climates that interests me. It’s the preparation that is very relaxing. I usually use carrots, onions and celery to create my base. From there anything is possible. I’ll use any vegetable I have on hand. Occasionally I’ll add a protein but most likely grains get a starring role and combinations you wouldn’t imagine are more intriguing to me than the old standards.

In the chopping of my aromatics, I find the utmost sense of repose. Concentrating on the blade as it cuts through the celery eases my tension. The sound of the swish as the knife slices through the stalks lets me know I’ve completed the cutting.
The carrots are a bit more challenging as they are a tougher vegetable but it is relaxing in its own right. I have to constantly keep an eye on the flying carrot bits that can ricochet off the chopping block. And then there is always a beggar puppy who wants some treats when I cut the orange root.

As much as I love the flavor of onions, the action of prepping them is an exercise in speed. No matter what tactics I use to not make me cry while cutting them, it has yet to work. If I can chop through half an onion without having to bathe my eyes in cold water, I have succeeded. It’s not really bliss to cut that tuber but it definitely keeps me alert since I don’t want to loser a finger tip while trying to prepare dinner.

If I decide to use fresh herbs, the aromas that waft through my nostrils as I chop them make me feel like I am walking in an expansive garden. All this writing is making me want to go home and cook.