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I like food and i love trying new things. This is something that probably was engrained into who I am by my dad from a very young age. He will always encourage me and my brother to try new things.
For today's younger generation this is probably a given as one can go to a supermarket and pretty much get any type of food from every corner of the world. But growing up this wasn't the case at all. So trying different and many times exotic foods wasn't as simple. I remember that kiwis (so common in most supermarkets) were not available in Mexico when i grew up. And my dad whenever he could get something different to try, he will bring it home and we will try it.
So from a very young age, I realized that food is more than just something to eat and get satisfied and get fuel to live. Food became a kaleidoscope of possibilities and something that piked my curiosity and desire to experiment and learn through.
That's how in all my travels, food plays a very important role as part of the experience. It's not about going to the fanciest restaurants but about trying different flavors and textures and invoquing different feelings.
And over the years as i self taught myself to cook and which is something i truly enjoy doing as it allows me to reach into my creative self and try new things and experiment. Cooking for me is relaxing and an opportunity to push boundaries on the flavors I like and to simply combine things in whatever ways i think of. To this day I like cereals, but I like combining 2 or 3 or even 4 different cereals, adding condiments like ginger or cinnamon and even chili powder...just because i can and because i enjoy those flavors.
Cooking is an art form that can take many many different forms. Some people might focus on the flavors - as those stalls in the side of the road that have delicious food even thou its presentation isn't the most appealing; or some restaurants that take a simple recipe but make it look something out of this world with its presentation. Even the same dish can be so different depending on where and who cooks it. To me this is the beauty of all art forms...to each their own as we all have different things we like.
So in a way every time i cook, I feel like an artist ready to create and be surprised by my creations. Most times when i cook, i don't follow recipes but simply think about what i like, what i feel to combine in terms of flavors and just do it. Yes, i have to admit that over the years many BIG DISASTERS have been made by me that were simply uneatable....but what artist doesn't create art that he/she doesn';t like and destroys it?
How many of us when we feel sick, have had home made chicken soup that not only nourished our body but fed our souls and made us feel much better? Isn't this what art does by evoking feelings?
I'm hungry...let's go eat
