From Cooking Disaster to Kitchen Princess

I have never loved cooking. It’s just this massive task standing between me and my dinner and I’m really only doing it because I have to. I’ve never really found the joy in it.

But I do like getting into the kitchen with friends and preparing a meal together. Or cooking for people and trying a new recipe.

I love the idea of enjoying being in the kitchen and baking, cooking, and whatever else you do in there to create something delicious to eat.

Whipping up an amazing dinner when friends come over, without even breaking a sweat or being anxious about it.

It’s one of the things I admire about my friend who stayed in isolation with me for a few weeks. She’s a great cook and I always look forward to mealtimes if she’s going to cook. She has cooked for me dozens of times, and I really only remember once where it wasn’t mouthwateringly delicious. And I only remember that because it was last week. There are numerous dinners I still vividly remember and even one recipe that’s now one of my favorites.

Just order pizza

For example, last week I tried risotto. I was craving pesto risotto, but since I couldn’t go out for dinner due to quarantine, I had to make my own. Risotto has this reputation of being a difficult dish, but I thought I’d give it a try. If it doesn’t work out, we’d just order a pizza (that’s what my parents always told me when I started cooking once a week when I 14. I didn’t like it back then either).

I looked up some recipes and smushed them together with my own ideas (I’m like my mom, I can never just follow a recipe. I take three similar ones and use a bit of all. Or I replace the ingredients because I don’t have access to them, don’t like them, or want it to be healthier.)

I went into the kitchen, turned on some kitchen music playlist, and started. How hard could it be?

Well, it wasn’t. At all. It was so much easier than I expected. And the risotto was delicious (my mom, best friend, sister, and brother-in-law all agree). It was so good, my best friend (who’s isolated with us) asked for it again the next week (I made the risotto below that time. No pesto, but with peas and spinach).

And that’s the good part of cooking (besides eating)

The best thing that comes out of cooking, is eating your creation. The second best is when other people eat with you and enjoy it too. (The worst part is the clean up. And having to wait until it’s finished.)

So those compliments give me motivation to cook again and maybe try something new.

Right now, I have some easy and fast recipes up my sleeve. Some of them even get compliments when I make it for others. I’m an ok cook, I just don’t really enjoy it.

Cooking disaster to kitchen princess

So, while I still have more time than usual because I’m just sat at home not working (stupid coronavirus), I’d like to explore more in the kitchen.

Do more from scratch cooking, try new dishes, and find the joy in cooking and baking – even if it’s just for myself.

And I thought I’d blog about it. What I’m trying out, what worked and what didn’t. What I’m enjoying and how it’s going.

Worst case scenario, I come out of this with a few new favorite dishes to make and still no joy in cooking. That’s not bad, right?

(Or well, worst would probably be if I burn the house down due to some cooking errors but I’ll just assume that’s not gonna happen.)

Let me know in the comments which is your favorite dish to prepare! From soups to cakes, anything goes!