The story of cooking.

The Story of Cooking. 

When you ask me the significance of a recipe, my response is likely to be, “What recipe?” The truth is, I rarely use them, even when I worked in a restaurant my recipes often varied from day to day. This is not due to a need for perfection; I am not trying to fix something, if it isn’t broken. For me, the relationship between the recipe and the food is a relationship that’s not completely solid. It’s a flowing, changing thing that creates and then re-creates itself every time it’s made. The process is simple, and to me, it’s a lot like writing. You start with a foundation, then you imagine what the flavor’s destination is to be. After that comes the complicated part, figuring out, just how it arrives there. How the ingredients transform from raw materials into the food you can’t wait to savor. 

 

  I’ll return to the metaphor in a minute, first let’s talk about the food. It begins with hunger. Soon the hunger gnawing at my belly over-powers my laziness. . I have to get up. A quick survey shows my ingredients. Choose them hastily, don't mess up. Salt, pepper, and additional spices are chosen. A fresh clove of garlic is recommended. The butter must be heated with the oil. It makes for a better texture. Drop in the garlic and watch carefully as it caramelizes. While it cooks prepare the sauce, Worcestershire red peppers, lime and mango into the blender, blend it up fine, and then mix in the vinegar. Now for the fish, three White Tilapia filets are chosen. Personally, I have to admit I am not a fan of fish, usually. This is a specified recipe. I created to make fish edible, and the flavors bearable. The fish is then tossed into a skillet, the sizzle to me, never gets old. On top of the softened buttery garlic cloves, add salt and pepper, onion powder, and lemon juice. Add it hastily and hope it doesn't mess up. You should then mix a buit of the sauce in and watch the colors change. Lower the temperature, and cover. Let the sauce and scented seasons mix with the fish. The smell is almost overpowering and extraordinary. Now the boiler, melt the butter into the basin and add flour until the thickness is between a dumpling and gravy. Currently you have a good Roux then add the sauce and a bit of cream. Stir and feel the resistance on your spoon grow as the sauce thickens from the roux. Heavy cream is recommended, but not too much. We don’t want to lose that thickness that separates a sauce from a soup. Then add mushrooms, green onion, and finally a bit more Worcestershire sauce, for color and flavor. The fish is removed gently from the skillet, now brown and tender. The sauce is thickened and the sweet and spicy aromas are strong, but not overwhelming. Swirl the pink and yellow colored sauce onto the white fish filets. Garnish with parsley as desired, and a slice of Roma tomato. (fFor a break in flavor.) One of the most important parts, and this I cannot stress enough. NEVER leave the caramelized garlic behind when plating. It’s a flavor you will cherish. 

Beginning with the ingredients, we have a baseBeginning with the ingredients, we have a base for our tale, each one standing as a character in our story. Then, we move on to the plot. Our characters are tossed, thrown, and sautéed into each other’s path, until finally we meet our climax, the truth is told, the ending revealed. The meal is complete. If you’re cooking for yourself, you might even get to enjoy the epilogue. Eating the delicious story you just cooked up.