I remember growing up thinking that mealtimes were a waste of time

instead of chomping through all those portions of meat and vegetables

what not just take a pill and a drink of water

that pill will provide all your nutritional needs without the wasted energy of digestion

it seemed like a great idea at the time but I never saw those pills for sale

in my late teenage years I had to fend for myself while at university

not living at home and unable to afford restaurant meals every day required some cooking

my early culinary experiments involved a can opener and sliced bread

I became the champion of baked beans on toast

nobody ever accepted my invitations to dine chez moi back then

later I learned the joys of cooking a meal from scratch

selecting the dish and the recipe is fun itself 

shopping for fresh ingredients on a tight budget is character building

next there is preparation where you chop, slice and dice

this is where you really learn to appreciate the importance of sharp knives and first aid

now comes the tricky part which involves applying heat

meat and fish take on a different feel when cooked correctly but how do you tell

in England most meats are killed twice; once in the abattoir and once in the oven

its ever so easy to under or overcook things by just a minute or so

I learned by trial and error with many burnt offerings respectfully chewed in total silence 

seasoning to taste was another big hurdle for me

I found it hard to judge if a finished dish needed more seasoning 

after tasting at every stage of cooking your taste buds can get saturated

it helps to have a non-food preparing friend taste for seasoning

or just put lots of condiments and sauces on the table for your guests

presentation adds a visual element to your finished dish

unless visually handicapped we all see our food before we get to smell and taste it

if it looks exciting then your sense of smell and taste will be enhanced 

I learned to carefully plate items to make them look appealing

my early assembled plated food towers always collapsed before reaching the table

wine pairing with your meal is supposed to be super important

but I think thats all a lot of hype and BS put out by wine merchants and snobby foodies

give your guests a choice of beverages and let them decide what to drink

despite what the rules say I love to drink a full bodied red wine with fish 

beer is an excellent accompaniment to any meal especially a curry

although gratification comes from taking the initial idea all the way to a finished dish

the most satisfying part of cooking is eating the meal with good company

sharing  a home cooked meal with family and friends is a way of sharing love

because to share the love that went into every stage of the cooking is the ultimate gift 

one could never achieve the same result by serving up a nutritional pill with water