Playful In The Kitchen

The kitchen used to be a place where I felt inadequate, and uncomfortable. Though I was told my few dishes were delicious, I detested cooking and always managed to hurt myself! My stress levels always rose irrationally high, to the point where I would get headaches, unless I knew I was only there to wash pots and dishes. Cleaning was about the only thing I was willing to do. I was less likely to burn or cut myself then.

Men in my life all became great cooks (and better restaurant critics) because of me. I was a lucky woman to be so loved and cared for. A man who can cook will always be one of the secondary criterion I look for in a partner :-). A good way to attract my heart really is through my stomach, hihihih! Everything connected to food wonderfully stimulate my senses.

I went through phases where I was resolute in trying. I also wanted to care and love back through cooking. I was baffled how I could love food so much but struggled to put "things" together - from mixing all the ingredients for one dish, to putting together several dishes that would go well for a meal or banquet.

Eureka! I just had an epiphany! Choreography! It's all about choreography! Creativity too, using cooking as an outlet to create (master)pieces when not just dishing whatever to feed a hungry stomach (that's survival, heheheh, which was how I knew to do it!). But choreography....! It's the dance starting from having all the ingredients separately on the benchtop, to shaping and fusing them together - to create something different, to look/taste/smell appealing, or to simply improve overall. My head could multi-task and work out what needed to be done. But my body struggled to catch up when specific movements were needed - cut, peel, boil, careful, turn, left, right, bend to put in oven, careful, pick up ladle, wash this, check the oven, pour that, hot hot careful, mix continously, turn the fire down/up, squeeze, rind - aaaaaaaaaccccckk!!! Replaying these in my imagination increased my heart rate, hahahah, ugh!

But now, I think I got it.... It's like when I dance.... Let me move to the rhythm playfully, it could be magic. Make me learn steps or a routine, I'd be awkward.... AH-HAH! :-))))

I was just gonna blog about enjoying cooking now. Less stressed, more willing and more fun. But not I know why and how! That's why I should continue viewing it playfully. Keep my stress restricted to getting the ingredients together (and familiarising myself to a recipe). Once I am ready to prepare the dishes, I tend to follow only the core of the instructions. I fool around and play with my cooking, curious how they are going to turn out, but happy to just "create". I would consult and could take requests, but allow me to whip up what I fancy making. When in my zone, instead of stressing, you'd probably even find me creating/doing something else unplanned on the side. Either a "task" to save time later (e.g. boiling eggs for salad at work, etc) or  "more play" where I remembered eating/seeing something in a restaurant or magazine and I was curious enough to end up making them too since the ingredients where also in front of me. Most of what I've made turned out well, I was told ;-P.

I still don't like shopping for ingredients. I'm not a (keen) shopper, full stop. But place me in a kitchen where enough of what I need are available and time to just be.... Play some music (or I will be humming), stimulate my senses, with company preferred to be social and for more fun.... I am confident many masterpieces will be produced!

I am finally embracing my domesticated goddess-ness, in the kitchen...! ♥