The Secret Ingredient

My shelves are overflowing with cookbooks.  Over the years, and with each move into a new home, I have tried to pare back on my beloved little library, thinking that I should not have so many cookbooks.  Of course, I now regret shedding even one of those lovely little creatures, and have even managed to replace a few.  At present, I am comfortable with having a rather large cookbook selection (somewhere around 150) and it is with great pleasure and anticipation that I encourage them to find romantic partners, and in the still of the night, make baby cookbooks.

When I first started seriously delving into the art of cooking, I would follow the recipe religiously, hoping that my creation would look something like the photo (for then I was only interested in cookbooks with pictures!).  Over the years, I have adopted a much bolder and innovative approach to cooking.  Now, almost 30 years later (where has the time gone!), I rarely follow a recipe, preferring to use it as inspiration instead.  When I am interested in trying out a new dish, I gather all of my pertinent cookbooks, possibly consult the internet, and form my own recipe, picking and choosing the parts of each recipe that appeal to me, and, of course, imparting my own intuitive wisdom into the mix.  In fact, I find it impossible now to follow a recipe to the letter, always preferring to make some adjustment towards perfection.

For me, the most interesting thing about all of the recipes in all of my cookbooks, is that they leave out the most important ingredient.  There is one ingredient that must be in every great recipe.  This ingredient is found in your Grandma's kitchens, in birthday cakes around the world, and is the one ingredient that will make any recipe taste better.  The ingredient is Love.  Love and the energy of Love somehow magically alter and improve any recipe, taking even an ordinary sandwich to new gastronomic heights.  

The wonderful thing is that it is so easy to add Love into your food, so easy to take your cooking to the next level without any additional fuss, muss, or cost.  There are a few simple guidelines to cooking with Love.  First, it will only work when you are relaxed and at ease - negative emotions have no place in the kitchen.  Second, while you are slicing, stirring, or simmering, imagine how good the food you're preparing will taste and how it will feed and fuel the body.  Third - and this is the really magic part! - gather your feelings of Love in your heart and then send it into the food, imagine the waves of Love energy flowing from you to the food.  Poof!  Instant transformation!

Be bold and innovative in the kitchen.  Experiment with new ingredients and new cuisines.  Be playful and have fun - yes, as adults we can play with our food!  But, most importantly, be filled with Love while you are cooking and you will be amazed at the magic that you can create!