As I sit and observe a fantastic cooking video on YouTube called “Chicken Breasts with Tomato and Cashew Nuts for Dinner by Grandma” by Village Life, I had an epiphany! Cooking is absolutely scientific in nature. It follows a similar order resembling “The Scientific Method“.

Before any dish is prepared, the cook/chef asks themselves, “hmm what am I in the mood for?” Upon a short mental trip to the food imagination library, he/she comes up with a dish. The step that follows is making sure all the ingredients are at hand. Then, there is the essential introduction of the measuring cups and devices to ensure accuracy of any given ingredient. Assimilate all required materials for your dish, attach a cooking time, adjust seasonings per taste and finish with a cooked products.

You can make your dish an innumerable amount of ways. Just take a quick look at what I mean below…

Things that can make dishes vary:

1. The water used
2. The heat source
3. The ingredients
4. The product
5. The experience of the cook/chef
6. The utensils used
7. The cookware
8. The taste of the individual cook/chef

The list can go on and on. This is why I am mostly attracted to the cooking side more so than baking. Baking to me seems to be a tad bit more involved with precise measurements and techniques. I praise those (my daughter Lily) that manage to become wonderful masters in their craft. 

Cooking is such an exquisite art form when you appreciate where your meal actually comes from. I start by performing a mental exercise by thanking the small farmer that is living under harsh conditions just to bring us fresh produce and ingredients while struggling to keep their business afloat. I reflect upon their lives and what they had to endure to deliver crops to the masses. I consider how the animal lived and if it died humanely. Is there really a humane way to terminate the life of a living, breathing creature? I can only assume there is not. I have yet to master the art of eating humanely, it is a slow mental adaptation that hopefully I can overcome and not ever have to harm an animal for my appetite. Future goals!

As of now I sincerely hope you pause for a moment before each meal and reflect upon the substance that you are penetrating into your body. Most of us wish to become better humans however this takes time and a great deal of determination. My only request is that for those that have elevated to a higher (more humane) form of eating be a little more compassionate to those that aren’t.  There is much we can repair in the world but it must be done together. Even for me, the term “together” brings out a sinister skepticism within me as I have a hard time playing nice with others. This too is on my bucket list for future goals.

For now, enjoy your meals and practice a little bit of awareness. We are all on this journey to growth but you don’t have to cross it alone. Have fun and play mad scientist in your kitchen, experiment with spices, ingredients and varied cooking methods. You may even start keeping a food journal.

Love and light!