"No one is born a great cook, one learns from doing."
- Julia Child
Cooking is an art and takes skill, luck and a lot of patience. My family has taught me everything I know about food preparation and most of my earliest memories are helping my parents and grandparents in the kitchen. Luckily, the best chef in Indianapolis lives less than 15 minutes away from my home. And yes, that is my grandfather.
At first, I didn't understand the appeal of cooking. People claim it's relaxing, but for a competitive and perfectionist like me, it sounds like a nightmare. I stress clean instead or go on long runs.
But you hit a certain point in your life where you want to survive on something more than take-out or Easy Mac. Create something of your own.
My new apartment was the perfect place to learn how to cook. With weird work hours and the stress of moving in, I was reluctant to take on more than I could chew (pun intended). I started small, gradually made my way up the culinary ladder. Each meal gave me a sense of accomplishment and I began to take pride in my work. Started Instagramming the aesthetically pleasing masterpieces. For the first time, I loved to cook.
Here is my first week of creations:
Spiral pasta with butter, parmesan & garlic and herb seasoning
Whole wheat toast with eggs topped with salsa
Pancakes with Nutella and dried cranberries
Turkey, lettuce, avocado & mayo sandwich accompanied with lemon water
Spiral pasta with olive oil, basil, tomato slices & mushrooms. Served with fresh fruit (plum)
Canadian bacon pizza with Italian seasoning sprinkled on top
Black olive & Canadian bacon pizza topped with Italian seasoning
Toasted day-old Jimmy John's bread sandwich
Turkey, ham, provolone & mustard sandwich on Medici wheat bread
First attempt at chocolate chip cookies in new apartment
Salad topped with Canadian bacon, green olives, carrots and dried cranberries
Mocha cookies & cream milkshakes for Sunday Night Poker
