Answers!

It was a flash of brilliance—an insight so powerful it moved me to such a state of self-impressiveness that even a man with my ego was embarrassed.  I finally figured out why I like to cook.  It’s not about getting to eat, although that is a good thing.  It’s not about making people smile, although that is a good thing.  It’s not about seeing whether I can outdo Ms. Loosewheel when it comes to using absolutely every cooking utensil we own, although that is a good thing.  It’s about the challenge!  Can I take what I know and transfer it to something I don’t?  Can I look at a recipe and see how it could be better?  Can I stand the utter defeat of a dish not turning out?  (The answer to that is yes.  Of course, it was easier when I was still teaching, because there is no such thing as a bad dish in the teachers’ lounge!  If you bring it, it will be eaten!)  There are no guarantees in the kitchen. There are snafu’s hiding around each corner.  There are interruptions that can cause one to lose track.  And then there’s the bitty bladder thing, which truly is a nuisance!  All things can and do conspire against a cook at times, and the true joy is in the defeat of that conspiracy!  This burst of reason happened as I tried a dish I had never made before. It was okay, but could be better.  So I tried it again.  It was better.  I shall try it again.  But not for a little while.  You actually can get tired of dumplings!  But I will continue to eat…and smile…and dirty dishes…because I can and because I like!  And the trip to the big blue receptacle isn’t that much of jaunt should I need to bury the evidence!  Have an amazing gourmet experience in the near future, and know you are loved!