Cooking, but especially baking, always brings back early memories of learning from my mother in the kitchen. Incidentally, she is not a keen cook or baker, but I vividly recall what she taught me about the alchemy of baking. This always makes me think that even though many young girls around the world do not have a shot at formal education, the magical apprenticeship of the kitchen is available to most. As economical and environmental crises lead us to question what is of true value, the importance of something as basic as food is clearer than ever.
Food brings comfort and happiness and celebration. One who understands the ways of food and fire can turn the simplest fare into a feast. Food is both a necessity and a luxury that unites every one of us.
The purpose of this blog post is twofold. First, to emphasise the fact that the most important things in life are learnt by informal education, and that the mastery of the “uneducated” should not be underestimated. Second, to remind those of us who value our book-learning that the fundamental things really do apply.
Go get your hands dirty. Make something. Bake something. Cook up a revolution. If you need inspiration, check out The Spice Diaries for the masala of the day: Pea Soup for the Soul. More conversation than recipe, this is kitchen learning at its mouthwatering best. The kitchen truly is the schoolroom of life.
Dig in!
Image: Cookies by Marie-Therese Le Roux.
