Food is something that has been a part of me for as long as I can remember. My pickiness in my childhood led to a curious teenager and then an adventurous young adult. The amount of time I spend in the kitchen pales in comparison to the number of hours professional chefs spend cooking with their brigades of chefs. However, I feel as though I belong in the kitchen. Knives on a cutting board replaced the sound of television in the living room. The household smells made way for the fumes of sautéing vegetables. The fresh ingredients in my hands overcame the feel of the rug under my feet. A kitchen had replaced the outside world.
I live for more than just the taste of food. I look for food that awakens all of my senses. I want see, smell, touch, taste, and hear it all from every culture, country, and cuisine. I think food. I talk food. I live food.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, food is defined as a “material consisting essentially of protein, carbohydrate, and fat used in the body of an organism to sustain growth, repair, and vital processes and to furnish energy.” Maybe that is what it was when Neanderthals were just taking their first steps. Recently, food has become so much more than essential nourishment. It has become an experience, a reason to travel the world, and entire cultures have risen with food as its main foundation.
While the regular diner down the street or the McDonalds around the corner might serve to curb your hunger, there is so much more out there waiting to be eaten. Walk down the next street over from the usual street and see what is there. Bring out your phone and consult with Yelp to help satisfy a craving. Go to the supermarket and grab some ingredients that you think would go together and create something that could potentially become greater than the sum of its parts as a painter would with paints and a clean canvas. There is so much more to taste than any one person realizes, and with a little help and effort, something new can be found or created, tasted and experienced.