CULINARY ARTS
Yes, chefs and cooks can be considered artists as well. The palette they paint with consists of the colors, textures, & even the sounds of their ingredients, and their presentation is only complete after ensuring the flavors of their creation bring joy & gratification to their audience. Apart from this, cooking represents a slice of culture, and families can even grow closer when cooking together. (…especially when there's a rush to save that almost burnt pot roast in the oven!)
To be clear, I don't consider myself a professional cook, nor do I intend to become one. My mom taught me how to cook years ago (even though incredibly she was self-taught herself!), but I've found myself falling into a repetitive rut lately, preparing the same old recipes again and again. So I've decided to post a few different dishes here in order to force myself to try new culinary concepts. And you'll notice I also prepare dishes from other cultures apart from my own. Some might deride that as some kind of cultural "appropriation", but I prefer to look at it as respectful "appreciation" of other cultures. Artists, musicians, & filmakers have long allowed international influences to inspire their own work (culinary or otherwise).
I won't be posting recipes here, because I didn't devise most of these on my own. When I do use a recipe, I'll often imperfectly improvise it, either just to use what I have at hand or to incorporate healthier ingredients. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it's a fantastical flop!
AUGUST 2024 UPDATE As you can see, I've divided up this section into two pages, and the transition isn't quite complete yet… With each new set of uploads, hopefully my food photography & setups are improving as well. Now my culinary creations can look way better than they actually taste!
