The other day I made Sole Meuniere Almondine w/Confit Byaldi (aka Ratatouilee).

Since moving to Northern Cali I don't really go to the grocery store by myself anymore. I should, but I guess I am afraid of falling. I mentioned before that new areas, which include new stores, take time for me to adjust to. I have to get used to the layout and every new place it's like my feet and legs need to be properly introduced so they can memorize every detail.

I have find a store, Berkeley Bowl, that I love because parking is right next to the door and there isn't curb for me to have to climb over.

Yay!!

I was cooking my Confit Byaldi and realized my eggplant was too big compared to the other veggies. Knowing that the dish took 2.5 hours just to bake, I couldn't wait for Jason to come home for him to pick up the Japanese Eggplant (more appropriately sized than regular eggplant) and so I went to Berkeley Bowl by myself.

Man, my legs were tired that day. I got out of my car and into the grocery store and thought, "Perhaps this was a bad idea to come alone."

I know I need to get out there more by myself. I think I lose confidence when I start depending on help. Currently I design from home and therefore don't walk around as much as I should. The store is approximately 250 Kam steps from one end to the other and I was pretty tired afterwards.

I came home and finished cooking a meal that was probably too time consuming for a weekday, but had fun! I also watched Ratatouilee while I cooked ;)  

Had a bunch of veggies left from the Ratatouilee, so I made homemade vegetable soup the next day. I don't know why, but I have this deep infinity for soup. I love soup.

I LOVE to cook. I suppose I have been cooking since I was young, but it was moreso baking that I did alot of as a child. I started dabbing more in actual cooking in college and would cook for friends here and there.

But, I think I really started cooking when I came to Los Angeles 3 years ago. I am from Michigan and after College, on a whim, I decided to trek out to Cali to look for career opportunities. I was staying with friends and as a way to "pay" them back I cooked ALOT for them. That is really when I started cooking and through the years I have really fallen in love with it.

I soon realized that it was exactly like a design process. I'm an Industrial Designer by education and I always say how lucky I am to have a career that happens to be something I really love and am really passionate about. Design is all about proportion, balance, vision, problem solving, execution...etc. All the things I love about the design process is pretty much like cooking. Cooking is like a mini design project for me where I get to: envision, plan, budget, execute, create proportion, layers and balance and most importantly, just like design, cooking is centered around people.

I think that is what I love the most about it - the end result is about the people. While cooking I'm completely engrossed and it is probably the only activity where my BRAIN completely shuts off.

It is similar to when I draw/design and get into that zone. I don't think about a thing and my instincts kick in.  It is not a chore to me, but a joy. I'm not trained in cooking, nor a foodie, but I think most things have a similar system applied to it and as long as you know those basic principles you can probably make the connection in learning how to do most things. 

Food makes people happy; creating community and a shared experience and when I have the opportunity to cook for others it is really me extending love. I like my house filled with people, believe in open door policy and I like it when they treat my home as their own.

It is odd, because I would say I am the career oriented type, though when the right time approaches I can't wait to teach my future children all sorts of cool things but at the same time I have these old fashion qualities, like the way I view cooking. I may have gotten some of these characteristics from my grandma. As a child I remember that her house was always filled with people and how much she enjoyed that and now I too am the same way.

As the years go by cooking becomes more difficult. My sous chef is Jason, my husband and he is my teammate when I need him and even at times when I don't. When I am cooking for a big party he is my arms and legs and I would not be able to do all the heavy work and thus the cooking without him. I enjoy cooking and appreciate that I can still physically do it in this stage of the condition. It kills me to think that perhaps one day I won't be able to cook anymore, but for now - no worries - I will continue to love doing it and simply enjoy that I can.

So, happy cooking!! May you feel inspired!