Some people run. Some sing or paint. I cook. If you don’t find me in my kitchen, you’ll find me at a market, a posh deli or an unknown Middle Eastern shop, uncovering hidden gems of spices and national treats. I love the smell of rosemary in an open space, the feeling of plunging my hand in a tub of raw rice and moving my fingers around, and the gorgeous colour saffron and beetroot give everything they touch.
These are the sensory pleasures of cooking. Cooking for others is what transforms this pleasure into deep satisfaction. People are busy, no time to gather ingredients for that dish they’d like to have for dinner. They have other priorities, and perhaps don’t know how to cook the food they really would like to, and should, eat. Feeding someone— actually providing them with a joyful activity that also nourishes them— is one of the most basic forms of happiness.
I have been a vegetarian and cooking for nearly 20 years, despite having always been a minority in my own circle of friends and family in that respect. Yet I cook for everyone I know (never having tried to convert anyone to vegetarianism!), and no one has ever indicated that they missed meat in the meal. People who really love food don’t notice if one of their meals does not contain meat; they just know whether they enjoyed the meal or not.
I want to give as many people as I can the experience of enjoying delicious vegetarian food-- even if they are a carnivore at other meals! It’s all about sharing lovely, nourishing food.
