One of the things I’ve found myself doing these past few weeks is something that I thought I left behind. I left it behind not because I felt that I had outgrown it, but more because I didn’t have the time for it. With school, work, and every other thing I had on my plate, I just couldn’t create ample time for it. I had to outsource a lot, and that gave me the time I needed to focus on other things.
What am I talking about? It’s cooking! I can count on one hand how many times I cooked in 2024 alone. It got so bad that one time, I forgot to shut the cylinder after cooking, and I didn’t notice it until the next time I tried to cook again. But by then, all the gas had leaked out! Do you know how long it would take for 6kg worth of gas to steadily leak out in trickles without being used?
Back then, cooking wasn’t really much of a hobby for me. Matter of fact, I didn’t enjoy it at all. This was because I found it really stressful. I still do, though. Preparing the ingredients, the actual cooking, and the heat (because my kitchen didn’t have a heat extractor). Many times, it drains me out. By the time I’m done cooking and I finally eat, I’ll be so tapped out, the next thing I’ll do is simply sleep.
Back then, it was impossible for me to finish eating and resume work. No, I suddenly began to feel drowsy and tired for no reason. I knew this was tied to my cooking because it was also affecting other areas of my life, like work and school. I couldn’t deliver projects on time, and I couldn’t complete my assignments in due time. It was frustrating.
But then, I had to outsource it. I started buying food. It made things so much easier for me that after a while, I got so used to it. Even when I was done with school, I tried to resume cooking again because I had more time, but that was hard to do. Not because I didn’t think I could do it, but just pure laziness. I didn’t feel like I was up for the stress that cooking would entail.
Anyway… months later, I’m eventually forcing myself to get back on the horse. Cooking has always been quite easy for me, so it was basically like remembering to ride a bike. I didn’t really forget. However, I soon realized that my culinary experience was severely limited. I only knew how to prepare food in a certain way, and that particular way was sadly outdated.
And thus began my sojourn into the vast reaches of YouTube. Whenever I want to cook something, I try to find all the unique ways that particular food can be prepared, and then I go for the one that looks most possible for me. And it’s been great. My inspiration has not just been coming from YouTube, I’ve also been getting it from some #creative-sunday posts as well.
So, little by little, my culinary prowess is expanding. And the more I learn new dishes, the better I get at them. Because if I’ve cooked it once with help, then I can cook it again without help. That’s how it works for me. And I’ll keep expanding, as much as my pocket can allow. I guess in the end, I’m finally becoming adventurous kitchen-wise.
Hmm… who would have thought?