As far as people stereotypes go, I’m your classic over-achiever, oldest child perfectionist. I like to follow the rules. I’m a people pleaser. I do like to color outside the lines, though I tend to get permission first.
But in the kitchen … I’m the opposite. I rarely use recipes, let alone follow them strictly. I buy what tickles my fancy, and I figure out what to do with it later. I take lots of risks, and mostly I experiment. Granted, I understand the basics, and I’ve practiced a lot, which means my experiments usually turn out ok (though I've had my fair share of failures). Bottom line: I'm confident when I'm in the kitchen.
After letting a number of ideas for this food blog marinate, I’ve landed on this mission: I want to help you build confidence in the kitchen. I want to inspire you to experiment. I want to help you learn how to think about cooking and be able to use your creativity and preferences to come up with new and delicious things you can create and be proud of.
Cooking is one of the few remaining outlets where you get to make something with your hands, and not just anything, but something you NEED! Sustenance! After long days spent at the computer, there’s nothing like SMASHING your garlic clove with the side of your chef’s knife, and doing it not just because you want to smash something but because that smashing has a purpose. Plus, as Michael Pollan says (and I firmly believe) - if everyone cooked more, we would all be a lot healthier. Because if you had to make french fries, chips, or donuts every time you wanted to eat them, you'd eat them MAYBE once a year.
So, how do you build self-confidence in something? I’ve thought about this question a lot, and I believe it's all about the little victories: trying one small thing, seeing yourself succeed, and repeating until all those little somethings turn into a big something: Confidence!
PS. Little Victories is the title of a GREAT song by Matt Nathanson, which I will leave you with…
“This time, I’ll be sailin’
No more bailin’ boats for me
I’ll be out here on the sea
Just my confidence and me…
I’ll be awful sometimes
Weakened to my knees
But I’ll learn to get by
On the little victories”
Listen to it here.