Eat!

There's this scene in the commercials for the movie "Julie and Julia" in which Julia Child's husband asks her what she likes to do. Her response? "Eat!"

Oh how I identify. Over the last several years, I've begun to really enjoy cooking. There are a lot of things about cooking that I enjoy.

Cooking is so creative. I love the way different ingredients with different flavors come together to create something amazing. I love how you can use the same ingredient in so many different ways (garlic anyone?). I love how all the pieces come together to a finished product. I love that moment when you lift the lid of the pan or open the oven door, take a whiff, and just know that it's going to taste amazing.

It turns out that I have some kind of talent when it comes to cooking. I find this amazing, especially considering my culinary background. Mom wasn't much of a cook. Most of the cooking I remember from my formative years included a box and probably a boat load of sodium. I didn't learn to dice, fry, or sautee, and certainly didn't know what a roux was.

Oh how times have changed! Now I understand the difference between a dice and a julienne. My birthday and Christmas wish lists include things like an All-Clad sautee pan and a mandoline. Best gift yet? A Shun chef's knife. Sure, I've cut myself many times on it, but when it slices cleanly and effortlessly through a tomato, I just want to cheer.

But if we get right down to it, I think the biggest motivation for my love of cooking comes from the simple fact that I love to eat.

There's something about food and flavors that brings joy. To me, it really does speak to the creativity and love of God for us. Eating is a requirement, something we must do for survival. God could have made eating boring, just another task that we have to accomplish during the day. But He didn't. He made it interesting, exciting, enjoyable, He made it something that speaks of Him.

And oh man am I thankful. Because dinnertime really is my favorite time of day!