Cooking Lessons
There is nothing quite like opening the front door and being greeted by the aroma of a home cooked meal. There is something so special about food that has been prepared fresh, ready to be shared around a crowded table. The dining experience is magical and I love to be a part of that process. I have always enjoyed cooking and in recent months this passion has only grown. The more I learn about cooking, the more I enjoy it. I spend my free time watching videos to gain culinary inspiration. I am constantly trying new techniques and experimenting with new ingredients to get the dish just right. I get excited every time I walk into the kitchen to dream up my next creation. My cooking is not based on recipes, but instead I cook by tasting. I figure out what generally goes into a dish and add my own twist. Cooking is a great outlet for my creativity. I love expressing myself through art that is intended to be tasted.
I have always been drawn to food, but it has been unclear to me what I appreciate so much about it. As I think back to the memorable meals of my life, my mind immediately goes to my time in India. Being in that country, I got to try many new things, and I enjoyed the experience of tasting anything put in front of me. I ate goat for the first time as well as naan. I experienced curry and deep-fried vegetables and many other brand-new dishes that I had zero experience with. These dishes helped me know Indian culture. When I think of my time in Chile, my thoughts turn to the tea I drank and the Empanadas I ate. The Chilean experience was so wrapped up in what I tasted that I can’t separate that from the rest of the trip. I have also had opportunities to travel in the US. I tasted Gumbo in New Orleans, fish tacos from street venders in Los Angeles, Mexican food from the Texas-Mexico border, ice cream from Midwest dairies, and pizza from New York City. These dishes flood my memories when I think of my travel; I long to enjoy them again. Eating authentic, local meals when I travel gives me a glimpse into life in the places that I visit. It helps me understand the ingredients that are available and what types of flavors are popular. It really is the best way for me to be immersed in cultures not my own.
Taste is an essential part of every experience for me. The same is true for eating things that someone else makes. I learn a lot about someone by what they choose to make or offer me to eat. I learn about what that person enjoys and what ingredients they have access to. I also learn something about the person’s background. Are they using an old family recipe? If so, then I can understand their childhood in a new light. Does the person follow a recipe or do they cook by taste? This tells something about the personality of the individual. This glimpse into a person is what makes the dining experience so viable.
Sharing food is an incredibly intimate experience and with intimacy comes risk. What if the other person doesn’t like what I have made? Does that mean they don’t like me? These questions are what make me self-conscience about sharing my culinary creations with others. I fear being rejected because of what I cook. The things that I make carry a piece of me because they come from my mind. This reminds me of other parts of my life. I worry that if I allow people to see parts of my life that aren’t perfect, then they will reject me. I create a façade that keeps my imperfections buried and allows me to come across as having it all together. I care so much about what other people think of me that I hide who I really am. I always strive to be genuine, but in order to keep up appearances I am selective as to what parts of me I allow other people to see.
A few years ago, I began the process of taking off the mask that I hide behind. I started sharing the less appealing parts with a close group of friends. I quickly discovered that the act of sharing myself with people helped me learn to accept myself and in turn helped me to acknowledge these parts before God. The more I shared the more I learned to accept my own brokenness and the more I understood God’s love. The people I chose to be vulnerable with, instead of rejecting me, extended grace. I learned just how loved I really am. As I became more and more vulnerable, I was amazed by the ways God worked in my life. The process of offering my brokenness to others and to my creator transformed me. I learned to live in the freedom of being my heavenly father’s beloved child.
As I accepted myself more, I found that I felt closer to the people that I was sharing with. They chose to open up with me as well and our relationships grew deep. We knew each other in a way that allows us to be supportive and to push each other towards growth. The more we shared, the closer we got and the richer our relationships grew. While I have become more comfortable being vulnerable, it isn’t easy for me. I’m reluctant to let people see the real me because I fear they will not like me. Despite my fears of rejection, I choose to be vulnerable because I have experienced the power of being known.
I am sharing a recipe with you in this post for a couple of reasons. First, I hope you will enjoy the process of making it. This is what I put into this soup…taste it...make it your own. My hope is that when you eat this soup you are reminded of the power of being vulnerable and will maybe even take a risk yourself. You just might be surprised by what God does in your life.
Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients:
· Water
· 2-4 carrots
· 2-4 stocks of celery
· Chicken bouillon powder or cubes
· Cooked chicken, 2 breasts
· Juice from a lemon
· Ranch dressing mix, 1-3 tablespoons
· One yellow onion diced
· Celery seed
· Black pepper
· 2-4 cloves of garlic minced
· Dried dill weed
· 1 package egg noodles
Directions: Fill a large pot about 2/3 full of water and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and the vegetables. Boil until vegetables are soft. Add the lemon juice. Season to taste. (it is essential that the soup is tasted constantly so that you know what to add and how much to season it.) Lastly, add the noodles and boil according to package instructions.
