7 Topics Meme - Cooking

Continuing the seven topics meme, as suggested to me by rigel*:

- Self-analysis through theater
- Religion
- Performance in LARPing
- Dressing for fuller-figured women
- Self-control
- Cooking
- Generosity

I grew up in a house where food was always considered interesting and important. My mother is an excellent cook that only got better as I got older, and in recent years my dad's hobbies have come to focus very much on food- and cooking-related arts. They taught me to see it as a creative outlet, a fascinating topic of study, and as an expression of love and social connection. The primary way we celebrate holidays is to spend the day together, talking and enjoying each other's company, as we prepare an elaborate meal.

I didn't get into cooking seriously, beyond helping my family growing up, until I moved into Elsinore as a senior in college. I had a kitchen of my own for the first time, so I decided it was about time I figure out how to organize a meal on my own. With my mom's remote guidance and a lot of experimentation on my own, I found I made a lot of progress in a short amount of time! I probably did it in the worst way imaginable, by inviting lots of people over. When you're not sure if the meal is going to come out, having lots of people waiting hungrily is not the best idea! But it turned out I was pretty good at it right away. I think that's one of the reasons I came to enjoy it so much. Around that time it seemed that absolutely everything was tough and required a ton of work to master, I was good at cooking immediately, and that felt nice for a change.

The way I like to show kindness and generosity to the people I love is to provide a nice experience, a good time for them to enjoy and remember. Entertaining in a grand way exactly fits the bill, and nothing enhances such an experience as good food. Providing a well-cooked spread of food makes parties and events so much better. It shows my love, and is a meaningful way to be generous.

With my fixation on my weight, there's always the temptation to look at food in an unhealthy, unhappy way-- to start dividing food into "good" and "evil," to view eating as a chore or an assault. But because cooking is fun and creative and such a great way to share love and good times, it helps me focus on the joy and art of it rather than just thinking, well, it tastes good now, but I'll be a lot less happy when it ruins it my figure.

I really don't like to eat bad food. I'd rather go hungry than eat bad food. I'm not like Jared or my dad, in which a lousy dinner at a restaurant can ruin their whole evening, but I hate wasting the calories on something I didn't enjoy. I rarely go out to restaurants anymore, because I can cook something much more delicious than anything in my regular price range, for usually much less money per serving. When I cook, I can guarantee myself something healthful and delicious. That means a lot to me.

Cooking is also a way I can help and care for the people important to me. When people are having a rough time, I don't think there's a lot I can do for them in a real sense. Sympathy, sure, but I can't get their work done, lift their stress, or fix their problems. But sometimes I know just taking away some burden, even if it's a small one like making it so you have just one less thing on your massive to do list, can be of real help. So when someone is busy, or struggling, or weighted down, I like to offer to cook dinner and bring it to them. It's a small way I can express love and concern, and in a more tangible sense, make it so that you may have a million problems and jobs to take care of today, but at least you don't have to worry about getting yourself dinner too.