cooking through the chaos

Breakfast, captured by Instagram

I've been trying to cook more lately, partly because of some dietary restrictions, but also because I saw the need for both me and J to cut down on our meat consumption and increase our veggie consumption.

My obstacle is that I've never loved cooking like some people do. I don't spend afternoons dreaming about what to do with truffle oil tonight, or easily concoct glorious dinner parties out of thin air. I'm completely the opposite - extremely self-conscious about my cooking in a way that far exceeds anything else in my life. I cringe at the thought of cooking for other people, which can pose a problem when you're friends with a bunch of foodies as I am. Luckily they seem content to let me just quietly observe and eat their delicious meals without really returning the favour.

Which makes me one lucky and well-fed girl.

But lately I'm starting to turn a bit of corner, culinarily-speaking. Nothing monumental, but I sense that I'm developing a new relationship with food. I'm starting to understand the satisfaction that comes with making something from scratch that looks as good as it tastes, and really enjoying the small rituals involved. I find that making an effort to be more conscious of this process - buying good ingredients, taking the time to prep properly, making a nice meal, and sitting down to enjoy it, to be very calming.

Cooking as therapy - I think I'm finally starting to get it.

As mentioned previously, things are getting crazy at chez coucou, which is even more of a reason to take this small moment within the chaos and enjoy.

And speaking of enjoying - this weekend we're throwing the cooking reigns to a local master, and going to the PDC Cabane. It's something that we've talked about doing for awhile now, and it's sure to be an extravagant, gluttonous, button-bursting event.

And I'm going to enjoy every last delicious second of it.