Solace in Cooking

Cooking is not just my hobby, it is everything to me, preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner for my loved ones means the world to me. When I first saw them happily eating the dishes I cooked, it became my mission to always serve them good foods that I put all my efforts and love into. This became one of my own ways of expressing my love for them.

If I want to rest, the kitchen is the first place I could think of. After having a very exhausting day as a college student, with both mental and physical state tired, cooking is where I found rest. Cooking gives me comfort, whenever I feel all the negativity inside me, cooking is what I do, and suddenly all the heavy feelings disappear. I will always love the sound of running water while washing the vegetables, the sound of a knife hitting the chopping board while cutting meat, the smell of the kitchen as I sauté the onion and garlic and lastly the taste of the dish I've finished cooking.

Despite the solace that cooking brings, of course, it also has its bad side. There are still lots of times I got splashed by hot oil while frying, getting cut by the knife I asked my father to sharpen and got myself burnt from accidentally touching the pan. In spite of those, I realized that it is what made cooking memorable. The wounds I get are proof of how much I love cooking and every corner of the kitchen became the witness of how I put all my best into every food I cook just so my loved ones can enjoy it.

Every time I cook, it still feels like the first time to me. The joy it brought me when I first cooked adobo is still with me. I will always remember the feeling when I first held the wooden spoon tightly in my hand while slowly moving it, giving the dish a slight stir. Cooking became a part of me a long time ago and I can never imagine myself getting tired of cooking as it is how I show my love for the people that matters the most to me.

Cooking is not just simply preparing food, to me, it is where I can truly express myself. I am able to give my best to every dish I cook. It makes me happy and proud whenever they tell me that the food I cooked was delicious and that I am good at it. These compliments became my motivation to improve my cooking skills so that I can continue preparing dishes they love to eat.

Nothing would make me even happier than seeing their face light up as they take their first bite of the food that I cooked for them. The smile on their faces while eating, indicates that I succeeded at making it to their heart through my cooking. These scenes will always be embarked in my mind as I continue to express my care and affection by preparing them the foods they love.