Sunday, March 08, 2009

Cooking therapy, dining out and the yin and yang of it!

I think most people in my generation tend to cook not from a great desire for cooking or experimenting with food (although i do on the rare occasion like to make new dishes). We do it simply coz home-cooked meals are easy on the tummy as well as the wallet. I'm sure there are a few who do it coz they run out of restaurants to eat at and even more who do it coz they cant be seen alone in a restaurant, neither of which is a problem for me. I feel eating an equal number of meals at home and out (like me) is a good balance to have. Atleast helps keep boredom away while maintaining a sense of discipline. And it also helps you appreciate the other more from time to time. I suppose you can be adventurous with food regardless of whether its made at a new eat-out or home-cooked.

I dont know how many people have felt this way but I find cooking strangely therapeutic. Cooking always puts me in good spirits, regardless of whether I'm making something elaborate like an arachu vitta sambar or the simplest of things like pasta. It gives me a feeling that things are right. Its quite relaxing in a way. I'm sure a lot of us who work tend to cook on Sunday nights and I think it puts you in a good mood and gets you ready for the work week ahead. Ofcourse, the fact that I like eating my own food also plays a small part in it.

I realize a lot of this probably only makes sense or is applicable to people who are at a similar stage in life as me but I'd like to think that its a nice lifestyle at any stage in one's adult life.