This question comes up quite often. Usually, it’s from panicked parents wondering how they’re ever going to feed their families in new and more healthful ways. I get it. Not everyone will love the kitchen or love spending too much time in there. I never really had a good answer for this either, but I have wondered what it is about the kitchen that may put one off. Especially because I know most people really love to eat and really love food.
Well, for one thing, cooking has been glamorized like CRAZY in recent years and this is what a lot of folks think:
Cooking is for the pros, under pressure from other pros, timed and with mystery ingredients.
Cooking is complicated. What’s sous vide? What if I don’t have a flame torch?
Cooking is fancy and belongs in upscale restaurants.
Cooking is for those badass chefs that went to culinary school, survived the hazing that comes in kitchens, the ones that gave it all and then became famous.
Sure. That happens on TV. But what every chef will tell you is that great cooking, the best cooking, is home cooking.
I’ve been reading Mindset, by Dr. Carol Dweck. It’s not a new concept (or a new book) but it’s one worth visiting. The fixed mindset vs. the growth-mindset. I’d like to invite you to try a few things.
If you truly hate cooking, ask yourself why? Is it because your mother or father were horrible cooks? Is it because you don’t want to end up at home all the time? Is it because you lack confidence, were never taught, just don’t have time???
What if I told you that you don’t need a fancy kitchen with fancy gadgets to cook well. What if all you needed were quality ingredients and a few simple kitchen staples? What if I told you that you CAN cook, despite what your parents may or may not have done?
Here’s one simple step to changing your mindset: Pick your favorite food and cook it. Then, cook it again. And again until you have it down. Making yourself something you love will help to start shifting that cooking mindset.
To help out, I’ll be discussing roasting root vegetables in the recipe for the month which is a very flexible bowl of delish, chock full of nutrients...a.k.a. Buddha Bowl/Peace Bowl, names which I refrain from since they’re not always vegan or vegetarian. (Yes, sometimes I will sneak a bit of sausage or bacon into one of these beauty bowls.) If you're not signed up yet, get on it. That's where I'll be discussing fun things like techniques, either on video or in writing ;)
Get ready to start changing that mindset and to enjoy being in the kitchen a little more. When you do, take a picture of your creation and please pretty please post it somewhere and tag #ediblerainbowproject (for sure on IG but also on our FB group) because we really need to celebrate each other’s victories.
In delicious health, Nathalie