My favorite way to cook is with absolutely no plan or recipe. No roadmaps to follow, no measurements, no ingredients to match; I’m the artist.
I walk into the kitchen, the possibilities feel endless. Except – they are. They end with the fact that my kitchen is not a grocery store, and I’ve got to deal with what I have.
But that’s one of the best parts.
The restriction is a force pushing you into a creative direction. There is no room for choice overload. Your parameters are set, make something magical with them.
It’s one of the most routine, everyday, go-through-the-motions tasks. Yet, I find so much joy in it. Here’s why.
I love to cook because it’s the truest form of creativity.
Yes – my job, my blogs, they allow room for me to let my creative flag fly. But I’m being creative for someone else, for you, for the reader, the customer, the audience. Whether I realize it or not, there are restrictions. In the kitchen, there are no rules. It’s a different kind of creativity. It allows me to create without constraint. In my writing world, there are often pressures to be creative in a certain way. To put words together perfectly. To create an experience, and bring someone else into my world, through my words. That creativity isn’t always there. But in the kitchen, it’s effortless. The process flows out innately. It envelops me as soon as I hear the ignition of the first flame.
I love to cook because it’s challenging yet nurturing.
With each meal comes practice. Your first meal isn’t going to be a masterpiece. Neither will your 50th or your 100th. But each time you place yourself in front of that stove, you are growing. You are getting better. And you are training yourself to understand.
I love to cook because it’s the only place I am fearless.
Failure is going to happen. And it will teach you. But you musn’t be afraid or intimidated. A bad casserole isn’t the end of the world. There are always options in the kitchen. But one of them shouldn’t be to quit. The fearlessness one experiences after practice in the kitchen is unlike any other. Understanding that there are always options (i.e. you will not starve if this dinner turns out sour – there’s always that pizza place across the street) is imperative to overcoming barriers in cooking.
“The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude.” -Julia Child
I love to cook because I simply love to create.
I love the feeling of turning something raw into a finished product. There is nothing like throwing ingredients together and forming the perfect equation to a wonderful marriage of flavors and textures.
I love to cook because it brings your senses to life.
The sound of onions crackling in olive oil. The smell of garlic enveloping your house with an unmistakable aroma that you wish you could bottle up. The touch of the knife as you chop, julienne, slice and mince. The sight and taste of your masterpiece after a meticulously orchestrated symphony of culinary creativity. So often we allow our senses to be taken for granted. Cooking reminds us that they should be recognized, and often.
I love to cook because it brings people together.
The power of food and cooking is invaluable. It connects generations, families, friends, colleagues, enemies. There is nothing more I love than to cook with my mother, the one who has taught me everything I know about cooking. I love to sit and watch my grandmother as she navigates the kitchen, creating dishes that her mother and mother-in-law taught her, and whose mothers I’m sure taught them.
I love to cook because I love to love.
I enjoy creating meals from the bottom of my heart for my loved ones to enjoy. There is no greater feeling than putting your heart and soul into a dish, and seeing, hearing, knowing, that the person you love is enjoying every bite.
I wanted to take the time to share with you the reason I love to cook because I believe that cooking can often be looked at as a negative thing. Of course, we all lead busy lives, and we often lack the time to put our hearts into a gourmet meal. Thus, cooking is seen as an obstacle. A pain in the ass. And trust me, I believe this to be true at times. When I’m utterly exhausted from a long day of work. But it’s not cooking that I hate during those times. It’s the energy necessary to do so. And always, always, when I get myself up to get it done, I feel so much better.
And as of late, I’d sort of become numb. I’d forgotten my love for cooking.
Until recently, when I was creating a recipe for a client. I realized that some of the ingredients I’d planned on using had gone bad, I didn’t have time to go to the grocery store, and I was on a deadline. So, I had to work around these obstacles and create a recipe out of what was in my kitchen (thanks to this, I’m usually pretty stocked). I put so much pressure on myself to make visions of perfection when making food for this blog or for clients. So, I immediately hit a slight panic mode.
But once I began sifting through our food supply, I calmed down. I realized – this is the best part. Here, I am creating. I am using my practice. I am not following a recipe I scribbled down, I am creating a recipe as I go, writing it down after the fact. The bliss I experience while cooking came rushing back to me. All of my everyday anxieties, my stress, my worries, flew out the window. I was in my zone; my favorite place.
As a food blogger, it’s easy to get caught up in the ‘blogging game’. The analytical side of blogging (which, yes, it’s much more mathematical than you’d ever realize). We are constantly trying to understand digital trends, algorithms, what’s popular, etc etc. Sometimes I catch myself losing a bit of fuel because I’m cooking according to keywords or Pinterest trends. But really – I started this website because I really freakin’ like to cook, and I think I’m pretty good at it (after much trial and error), and I wanted to help others while hopefully inspiring them. I believe it’s important to come back down to earth every once in a while, and think about why you love something, and realize that there are enormous joys in the simplest of tasks.
Join the conversation:
Bloggers: have you ever lost a bit of control over your passions?
Bloggers/readers/chefs: why do YOU love to cook?
Arman @ thebigmansworld says
AMEN to everything you said. Whenever i feel like a recipe is half-hearted, it doesn’t even make my draft pile. It goes straight to trash.
Cooking is an amazing form of expression, stress relief and love. The moment it becomes calculated, no dice… Like Lisa Rinna’s lips.
The Blissful Balance says
I now expect every comment from you to contain a RH reference. Your fault. And seriously though, I look back at the beginning of this journey at how I would still share recipes I wasn’t 150% happy with. And the fact that I didn’t get much response – DUH! Now, I can see when I put my heart and soul into something and its like my readers and followers can sense it.
Shabss says
You are awsome. You always motivate me and I always try your mouth watering recipes.
Whenever I feel to have something tasty, I always follow your recipes. Good work. God bless you
rachel at athletic avocado says
Love this Christina! Sometimes I forget why I started my blog, aka because I love creating healthy and easy recipes for people who don’t like “healthy” food. I didn’t start this blog for the blogging part, just for my love of healthy food! Thanks for the reminder
The Blissful Balance says
I love what you said “I didn’t start this blog for the blogging part”. I love that!! So true! Thanks for reading Rachel <3
Christina says
Thanks so much for this! I do often get caught up in following the recipe I’ve scribbled down or making sure to take careful notes as I cook that I don’t take the time to enjoy the process… But the process is the best part!
The Blissful Balance says
Exactly!! Which of course, as food bloggers we need to make sure the recipe is right, but its great to let go sometimes and simply enjoy it :)) Thank you for reading!!
Les @ The Balanced Berry says
Yes to every word in this post. I love to cook because it is an amazing creative outlet, I find it super relaxing, and let’s be real – I like eating more than I like to do anything. And I’m a firm believer that if you like to eat, you better learn to like to cook. I have 100 percent lost my food blogging mojo, and am definitely struggling in the creativity aspect because it feels like blogging has taken the fun out of it. I definitely need to get back to basics.
The Blissful Balance says
“I like eating more than I like to do anything” LOL preach. Thanks for reading Les <3
Erin @ The Almond Eater says
I can relate to this 100%. I think it’s so easy to allow the process of creating and cooking to become a stressful situation (especially when on a deadline), when in actuality, it’s almost a blessing to be forced to use your creativity to improvise. Because we’re wiser than we think, especially with years of cooking/cooking for the blog practice.
The Blissful Balance says
I cant wait for the day when I can focus on this much more because I know I will be able to just relax and enjoy it more!
Beverley @ Born to Sweat says
great article Christina! Funnily enough i feel the exact same way when i create workouts. a lot of the time i just want to share the workouts that i do because i LOVE them and want to share them with people. but i’ve slowly realized that many people maybe can’t perform the exercise, or don’t have dumbbells on hand, etc. so a lot of the time the workouts have to be modified, and the result is they aren’t exactly what i wanted. i try to mix them up though so there is a good balance of both.
Emma {Emma's Little Kitchen} says
Ohh Christina, you beautifully articulated all of the thoughts that swirl in my brain every day. I’ve actually made a conscious effort to NOT try to follow food trends unless I’m going to be in love with them forever, I think thats better for my blog in a round about way, because when I’m not excited about a recipe, none of my readers are either. Lastly, I’m seriously crushing on that dress
ACKTIVE LIFE says
I love to cook, because I love to eat! I love food. I love what you can do with it and how certain flavors bring so much life to a dish. I also love to cook with friends, because it is just a fun environment and there is laughter and joy and food makes people HAPPY!
Emily says
I love this, because it just reflects you, so accurately. It reflects the beauty of cooking as an art, not a mere ‘form’ or ‘mechanic.’ I’m not as much of a recipe blogger, but what you said about getting caught up in the ‘blogging game’ is something that I’ve shied away from by not creating recipes, even though I love to cook. This post has now inspired me to go create food for the sake of love and the sake of just creating. I can’t wait to see more of what you create Christina, and we don’t expect it to be ‘perfect’ because I love that you are REAL, REALLY who you were made to be in that kitchen. <3
Ashley @ Fit Mitten Kitchen says
Sometimes I think you read my mind… I mean this is twice now in once week. GET OUT OF MY HEAD. Just kidding, please stay.
I was literally just thinking about this last night. Working with a deadline and wondering where my spark went. But then I snapped out of it and realized it was just the fear talking, and that I am going to do a kickass job and keep moving forward.
So well said Christina!
masala girl says
love where you went with this! but also so glad you got your mojo back! wooo! never lose your love 😀 <3
for me, i started my blog because i LOVE to cook, create recipes, adapt some family recipes, etc. it's not perfect, but it is me, and i'm not going to change why i started. now, i hope school doesn't get in the way of my love to cook
Ellie | Hungry by Nature says
Such a wonderful read! I started my blog for my love of cooking and baking and it is so easy to lose sight of that when I’m stressed or in a creative rut. Thanks for the reminder of why I’m actually doing this!
The Blissful Balance says
Thank you for reading Ellie!! Once you remember your ‘why’, it is so refreshing! <3
Jen @ Florida Illustrated says
I love to cook because I love to eat – the two definitely go hand in hand.
The Blissful Balance says
Ha!! I’m right there with ya!
Rachel @LittleChefBigAppetite says
I can absolutely relate! I think I get so caught up in getting a post up in time or blogging a summer recipe, just because summer is coming up. Or sometimes I don’t make a favorite dish just because I don’t think it will photograph well.
I need to sit back and remember that I REALLY love to cook.
The Blissful Balance says
Totally. What’s funny is I swear every time I share unplanned recipes, they do the best on my blog. Every time I’ve shared something that I made on a whim, and felt the most creative, and thought “actually I’ll share this” it turns out to get the best response!
Liz @ The Clean Eating Couple says
I loved reading this so much, and can totally relate. Sometimes it’s easy to get lost in the madness of the blogging world. I’m in it for man of the same reasons you are!
The Blissful Balance says
It so is!! But once you come back to your roots, it is all worth it. Thanks Liz <3
Julia @ Drops of Jules says
Every post of yours leaves me face palming at your transparency and intelligence. I really admire you Christina! Thank you for sharing all of your honest thoughts!
The Blissful Balance says
Julia that means so much to me thank you for your sweet words and for reading <3!!!
Maddie says
I love this post Christina! The kitchen is the perfect place for me to forget my stresses from the day and create a meal that I can be proud of. I can’t tell you how many muffins I’ve burned, pancakes I’ve flopped, and eggs I’ve over scrambled, but these failures make the success all the more delicious.
Enjoy your weekend and be sure to whip up something yummy
The Blissful Balance says
Exactly! I’d say the end-of-the-day cooking is the hardest to get myself to do, but it’s always worth it Thanks for reading Maddie!
Megan says
This is one of my favourite posts of yours Christina <3
The Blissful Balance says
Aw thank you so so much Megan. Thank you for reading it means the world <3
Ellen @ My Uncommon Everyday says
I adore this post, Christina! Cooking is creativity and courage and love and stress-relief. I can share my love for food with others, and I can show them that I love them by cooking for them. I’m hugely type-A, but when I’m in the kitchen, I can usually take the pressure off. I relax and just create. I think we all experience those little dips in passion, and that feeling when the inspiration and joy comes back is amazing. As always, thanks for sharing what’s on your mind.
The Blissful Balance says
I totally agree, Ellen!! Thank you for reading <33
Emilie @ Emilie Eats says
This is beautiful, Christina, and so well-written. As bloggers, we all understand the pressure of cooking recipes that will “go viral,” that are paleo/GF/vegan/30 minute/no bake because we know that’s what people want. You can easily get burnt out, cranking recipes out just for the hell of it.
But then sometimes I cook something purely to cook and eat – not for the blog, not to post a picture of – just to enjoy the process of cooking and to sit down for a nice meal. I love seeing the process of turning basic ingredients into something beautiful, delicious, and uniting.
The Blissful Balance says
Thanks for reading Emilie <3 you're totally right. And once I go back into that mode of just cooking to cook, it all comes back to me!
Victoria says
I loved this post, thanks so much for sharing your heart on your sleeve! I am SO new to all this…but I can see how quickly it is to get wrapped up in the analytic aspects of it all. Great reminder to not let that happen
The Blissful Balance says
Thank you for reading, Victoria! <3 It is easy to get caught up, but more important to remember your 'why' <3
Alyssa @ renaissancerunnergirl says
I love this post! When you’re making a recipe, tinkering with it for the tenth time, trying to photograph it perfectly for a blog post, you can forget your why. And it’s important to keep that in mind.
Caitlyn @ So Damn Good says
Love this!! Also love your shirt!
The Blissful Balance says
Thanks girl, loving this whole cape/robe thing trend hahah whatever you call it. Thank you for reading!! <3
Neha Sharma says
Hi Christina,Thanks for sharing your experience I always like to read health tips and food recipe. I am very happy to get real food guide.
Levi Cin says
Sometimes we get too indulged doing other things we love doing then we forget but it’s wonderful when we get back on track and realize it’s more beautiful than ever before. I mean, the more different our perspectives are, the more we can see the picture clearly and know what we really want! I think this is beautiful It makes me realize what i really want and that i can always do something greater than the things i just do because i am used to doing them before. Some things are always sweeter the second time around. Like my love for making films before? Yeah I somehow loved it too much and did something on the side and made money too til i’ve forgoten the essence of it all but then..! We can always go back! Let’s make food prep videos!!
Dave Charles says
Brilliant health tips and food recipe I have ever read! I should try it as soon as possible. Can you share a clip of this recipe step by step to quick learning? By the way, thank you so much for sharing your amazing experience.
Childrens Cooking ideas says
Wonderful sharing. I love to cook because I love to eat – the two definitely go hand in hand.
Gloria Coleman says
Wow, That’s amazing post !! this post is really informative and useful. I’ve read so many amazing things about your article! I enjoyed reading it. You have shared such a great tips. Always, I will also try to make the delicious food. I want to become healthy and it only can happen by eating healthy food. Thanks for sharing the nice blog.
Cheska says
From comfort foods to indulgent dishes of recipes that family will love and make over and over again. Cooking has never been easier. Thank you for inspiring me! Great post!
luis parsons says
this is such a heartwarming article!plus I love the shots….indeed a lot of bloggers forgot the sole reason for why they started blogging about food…i really love that you channel your inner self and look back.thank you so much for sharing this great article.!
Heena Khurana says
Wow!
Beautifully written post
This is something similar to my life.
I love cooking. I have started cooking at the age of 12. It actually keeps me busy at the weekend and heals my mind. I love to cook for family and friends, they enjoyed it as well. Even on the weekdays, I make it after came back from the office. I usually try new recipes putting lots of love in it. ?” Food is love”
Thanks for sharing!
jason says
Love the sentiment here. Cooking is such a form of expression as you and others here have said.
Its also proven to be very therapeutic. 10 years ago I was going through an extremely stressful time and cooking at home for whatever reason really helped me. I remember one day getting home after a terrible day and making some cheese and onion pasties. It just made me feel better!
im not very good at making my own recipes up though. I presume you need to have a lot of experience to do that?
Jonathan Sager says
I love to cook so much. I love delicious food & sometimes I cook. I cook my favorite food and it gives my mind peace but the main problem it is not cooked properly or something becomes a mistake. I found your blog. Your information is very helpful about the cook. I can learn a lot from here. Thanks for sharing the excellent post!!!
kenmiller says
I am a food loving person and always try to create some fusion with my food. I really like your blog and its a great boost for me because I was searching for some new ideas which I found in your blog. Thanks for making this blog. Keep going!
Neeraj Soni says
Hi Christina,
i have read many of your blogs , and they were just amazing , the best part of you is (no plan or recipe) and as you have mentioned in your article that (The restriction is a force pushing you into a creative direction. There is no room for choice overload. Your parameters are set, make something magical with them. ) its lovely
Thanks for sharing your experience I always like to read health tips and food recipe. I am very happy to get your articles as i am waithing for this type of article for so many times…
keep posting
cheers….
Victoria says
Wow!! What an article!
This is the “BEST” so far on cooking. You swept me off my feet.
Yes, cooking indeed unleashes creativity, brings people together and it’s one of the surest ways of showing love.
Thanks, Christina for bringing this our way.
Country Kebabz says
Nice work Christiana