I've never viewed cooking as a chore or a hassle. I used to think that was because I was a kid, and to be fair, @ladyrebecca cooked most of our meals for a long time. So inevitably, I wondered if my view of things would change once I had to do everything myself. It hasn't.
As you might've noticed here, I enjoy cooking a great deal, and try to prepare all meals on the spot from fresh whole foods. I think eating healthily is, like everything else, a practice that becomes habit. And I think the more you opt for the quick, easy fixes - the canned, frozen foods and the sandwiches, the harder it will be to create a habit.
I find I'm often pressed for time. There's all these late nights and times I know I won't be home to seriously cook. And yet, it never occurs to me to reach for junk food or open a tub or can or whatever. That isn't to toot my own horn, why would I? It's just noticing how, done long enough, hard things become a habit. Because let's be real, it's much more convenient to reach for ready-made or make yourself a sandwich.
So I like cooking for myself, I find I enjoy the process, the discovery of new recipes, the pushing my skills and seeing new ways to make something.
Best of all, though, I love cooking for other people. I was cooking for my extended family and they joked oh, we've banished you to the stove now. I'm not sure that it was so funny, I'm not a fan of the "oh, traditionally female behaviors and chores are such a drag" trope. Rather, I think the act of cooking, of feeding your family is very closely tied to the feminine. Making something nourishing with your hands, that's feminine energy, and I think it does women a grave disservice being told they don't need to do any of that.
I think we do. I think it helps us cultivate a better, healthier relationship with our own femininity (something that a lot of modern women are struggling with greatly - we tend to channel an excess of masculine energy in this world that tells us constantly we need to do, to achieve). So obviously, don't be a 50s battered wife or nothing, but maybe spending some time to develop your own skills in the kitchen won't be so unpleasant.
I've written before about cooking for the holidays. My family's never been big on traditions, and in Romania, there's a vast army of dishes good, Orthodox families make for Easter. Well, we're Catholics, anyhow, if we were any religion at all, so we skip most of those. But I could never skip my beloved cozonaci.
I've been making these for at least 12 years, though probably a lot longer, and I love it. It's a load of work, especially as they work best if you knead them by hand. And this year, I decided to do more than my traditional 2 1/2 cozonaci. Lots of people to feed. So I made four. In two batches.
I'm quite pleased with what came out - they look nice, don't they?
The people who know me (most of whom are receiving some of these cozonaci) have learned not to approach me with the "oh you must be exhausted" or "I'm sorry you have to work on my account". I don't dig it. Tell you the truth, I was looking forward to Saturday, knowing it would give me a break from my regular, overwhelmingly intellectual (and lately physical) pursuits.
That this could be an opportunity to really take my time and devote precious hours, ones that normally drift by quickly and need to be carefully used up, to something simple. Basic. Mundane. Cooking an old, traditional recipe. Kneading. Cleaning.
Taking my sweet time. There was a part of me that thought quietly maybe I can put on a podcast in the background or one of my classes, so I can learn, so that the time isn't wasted, but I thought no. Traditionally, I listen to French music when I make these. So I figured that's what I'd do today. I could use the time even more productively, but I had to remind myself this is productive also. Had to keep the masculine urge to get shit done and intellectualize my pursuits, and hold space for the value and wisdom of making things, good, nurturing things, with my own two hands.
I have to remind myself, often, that the things that come out of my feminine energy are just as important, every bit as valuable as the ones (typically prioritized) that come from my masculine side.
Happy Easter! :)
