With the “Holiday Season” approaching in what seems to be faster than ever before, I thought others would love to learn why I enjoy this time so much. Let me be honest, it all has to do with the food and knowing how to cook a wonderful meal for those I love.
Learning to cook can help you enjoy yourself by allowing you to spend time with family, to understand how to cook, and to give you more self-confidence. Have you ever tried to follow a recipe and cook something great for a loved one only to have it turn out horribly wrong? I think everyone has done this or something similar, especially if trying to learn how to cook. It is true that if you learn to cook you will be able to spend time with your family. As a result of cooking for your family, they will be able to try new foods. You could learn recipes for specific areas or cultures and have a Mexican or Italian dinner night.
Furthermore, sitting down to a well cooked meal as a family is a great way to bond. I love cooking for my family, as it is such a good way to bring us all together. Whether it be a holiday or not, family dinners can happen all the time, and making something that shows your personal cooking style will bring you closer to your family. I think being the cook is the best part, especially when you can show your family how much you have learned. Again, by learning to cook you will understand how to cook as well as the terms and principles involved in cooking. You will know exactly what the recipe means when it says to temper the batter or cream the butter. Consequently, you will be then able to discuss cooking techniques in a more knowledgeable manner. If you can learn the principles behind cooking, you can take those same disciplines and apply them to other areas of your life. Also, you will know what granny is talking about when she starts asking who ate all the hush-puppies or why the cookies are still raw.
Most important, learning to cook will bring you a great amount of self-confidence. The satisfaction of learning something new is an important part of being a confident person. It is my personal opinion that it takes a very confident person to present something to others as their own work. You want your food to taste and look good, so when it is, your self-confidence grows a little more. This can result in the desire to try more complicated dishes. Another result is that learning to cook will open the door and encourage further learning on other topics. Maybe by learning to cook something from a different place or culture will give you an interest in learning more. I think cooking is truly an adventure because it can cause a person to learn and grow themselves, but it can also cause an outward change in a person. Those around you will know you have learned something new and will understand the joy you get from being able to cook.
So, while you are in the kitchen with the designated chef this year, be brave and ask to learn their techniques and recipes.
