Cooking 101

I am severely addicted to food.  Today, I realized that there are many steps to creating a perfect dish, and I can not figure out which I enjoy the most.  As far as I break it down, there are 5 basic steps to inventing a recipe, while having fun:

1.  Dream.  

If you allow yourself to conjure up combinations of flavor without bounds you can open an entire new world of cooking possibilities.  And if you end up with a failed attempt, at least you should know what not to do in the future.

2.  Be picky.

I do not know how long normal folks spend in the grocery store to buy a week's worth of food, but I have got them beat.  I start at the same end of the store each time, working my way down the aisles.  Produce is always last, and my favorite section.  I study each piece until the prize fruit, vegetable, or herb is found.  Tomatoes, basil, onions, limes, mushrooms, cilantro, leeks, potatoes, spinach - nothing makes me happier.  Except...wait...garlic! Oh, the garlic!

3.  Prep well.

I might like this step the best of the five for one simple reason.  My passion for cooking is held in a 7.5 inch Santoku knife.  Chopping veggies to hear the snap of a clean cut is by far the best part of cooking - end of discussion and moving on.

4.  Be alert.

Not every oven or stove cooks the same, and a minute too long can ruin the doneness, consistency, and even the flavor of some foods.  Be watchful when the flame is on, and stir if it calls for it.  Catching a mistake early can save an entire meal.  

5.  Enjoy!

This step still takes second place to prepping, but it is the culmination of an afternoon in the kitchen.  Plating and garnishing the food is fun, but destroying the evidence of hard work is delicious and intoxicating.