Preparing healthy, gourmet food at home doesn’t need to be a tedious challenge. With some practice, fresh and inspired meals can grace your kitchen table without frustration. Cookbooks are nice to have and pretty to look at, but learning to cook without them is even nicer.
Cooking is good for the soul. It’s a calming, meditative activity when approached as an art - the way one would approach a canvas to paint. Accessing the inner artist is the secret to successful cooking from within.
A Clean Kitchen is a Sacred Space
A beautiful spread of gourmet food on a dining table begins with a clean kitchen. Cleaning, like cooking, can be a healthy, meditative process. If possible, always use non-chemical, food-safe products to clean the kitchen.
Herbal cleaners are especially nice. There are several online companies that produce natural, specialty cleaning products that work well. Mrs. Meyers and Method brands are available in stores and have a nice selection of quality products.
Another idea is to make the cleaners at home. There are many websites that offer recipes for natural home cleaners using every day products, such as vinegar, lemon juice and baking soda. One recommended exception is in the case of meat and blood contamination on counter tops and sinks. Bacteria heavy areas need to be disinfected.
While cleaning the kitchen, really feel what is happening. Smell the freshness of the cleaning product. Feel the water and soap while washing dishes and the heat of the steam that rises from the sink. Look around. It feels wonderful to see positive, transformative change taking place, even in the kitchen.
Fresh Food is Gourmet Food
Gourmet [goor may]
Noun - 1. Food expert: someone who enjoys and knows a lot about cooking good food and drink.
Adjective - 1. Of special food: relating to high quality food that is sophisticated, rare, expensive or meticulously prepared.
The preparation of “gourmet food” in this article is not necessarily focused on the rare, sophisticated or expensive, although one could certainly go that route, but on the idea that when a cook becomes connected to the food and absorbed into the art of the process, that the meal will be meticulously prepared and of high quality.
The most important aspect to producing high quality, healthy meals is using fresh food to prepare them. Gourmet food calls for the best ingredients and the best ingredients are fresh. Having a personal vegetable and herb garden is spectacular, but not always practical. In an urban setting, backyard produce may not be available, but usually local farmer’s markets are.
Farmer’s markets are special. They offer food at a quality that supermarkets cannot compete with, simply because the food doesn’t have to be shipped anywhere. They also give back to the community by supporting local farmers and other small, agricultural businesses.
Large farmer’s markets will offer an array of seasonal vegetables, fruits and herbs; fresh milks, natural cheeses and other dairy products; organic, grass fed meats; fresh eggs, honey and sometimes even cut flowers and toiletries like handmade goat’s milk soap.
Learning to cook with the seasons is a natural part of gourmet food preparation. Vegetables and fruits that are in season are normally all that’s available at these markets, which is fine, since they will taste better and be full of nutrients compared to a battered, withered bunch of asparagus that had to be shipped from the other side of the continent.
Many farmers markets will run even in the off season and sell produce that has been jarred while fresh. However, canning fruits, vegetables and sauces prepared from them at home is a very worthwhile, pleasurable and economical skill to learn.
Intuitive Cooking requires Inspiration
When everything is ready - the clean kitchen and the fresh food; it’s time to cook! Get inspired. What makes you feel creative? Turn on your favorite music, pour a glass of good wine and light some (unscented) candles. The kitchen becomes a sanctuary; a blank canvas ready to come to life.
With closed eyes, remember the taste of favorite foods. What flavors were present? Lime with chiles and maybe cumin or oregano? Curry and coconut? What flavors blend well? Experiment with this. Famous gourmet chefs experiment with food continuously. Someone had to write those cookbooks lining the shelves. They did it by becoming acquainted with the essence of the fresh foods that they worked with.
Hold a bunch of fresh herbs and smell it. Now smell another. Smell them at the same time. What is the impression of the two scents together? Is it off putting or mouthwatering? The sense of taste is directly related to the sense of smell. Many times, if ingredients smell right together , they will taste right together. Again, this is a practice. Every art takes patience.
Let the sights, smells, feel and tastes of the kitchen inspire. Be whimsical. Sing while you chop; dance while you stir. Enjoy being in the moment and go with what feels right. Don’t be afraid to taste new things and attempt new cooking methods.
Learn to really trust the senses while cooking. Touch foods (carefully) to check for doneness. Observe food closely and learn to watch for signs of being ready to turn in the pan and learn to eye measurements. Listen to oil pop and the way the sound changes through the cooking cycle. Smell foods for a sense of their seasoning or signs of burning. Taste sauces and soups throughout cooking and add seasoning little by little and just the right flavor is achieved.
Intuitive Cooking is Happiness
We are what we eat. This is true. Bodies are composed of exactly what is put into them. Fresh foods make the body happy. Cooking gourmet food as a form of art satisfies the soul. Intuitive cooking is fun and relaxing. Give it a try and see.
Johanna England - Johanna England is the mother of four young children between the ages of ten and three and a recent graduate of the University of Houston, ...
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