Another Phase

I’ve been through phases of personal frenzy. There was once a frenzy for scrapbooking - I scrapbooked every piece of photograph found around the house. I spent countless hours embellishing and matting pages according to themes.

There was even a dedicated scrapbook entitled “Faces from my past” which from the title one can guess that it was plastered with pictures of ex’s  (that’s a plural) and me, movie ticket stubs, pressed flowers, love letters and notes, lyrics of what used to be ‘our song’ and even break-up notes. I’m still not sure what I’m going to do with that particular book. Sell it for scrap perhaps?

There was another period of personal frenzy which involved a lot of sports equipment - badminton racket, and a tennis racket, a pink golf set, roller blades and Frisbees, which they are now gathering dust, stored away in the far end of the storage room under the stairs.

I’ve entered another frenzy phase the past two months. Cooking, baking and collecting recipes. Not that I don’t cook on a daily basis, but being single, living with family and a helper around the house, cooking is not that much required from me – and I eat out a lot.

But the past two months, I’ve cooked, I’ve baked and I have filed away recipes according to categories. Julia Child would have been proud of me. I have also bought kitchen utensils – food processor, garlic press, icing bags and tips, cookie moulds, zester,  cooling rack, various sizes of baking dishes and pans - some of which I might never again use once this frenzy of mine phases out.

Amidst this cooking and baking frenzy of mine, I have discovered something.

There is something comforting and much joy to be found in cooking and baking. The whole experience and process is somewhat therapeutic to me.

 I love the wafting smell of butter, cinnamon and vanilla, the homey ambience it creates and the anticipation as I watch the batter rising slowly in the oven whenever I bake.

 The sound of ladle and spatula cling-clanging against the wok, the sizzling sound of onions and garlic as they begin to change colour, the fragrant smell of spices and herbs and the flavourful combination of all the ingredients makes cooking pleasurable and enjoyable.

Cooking, however, gives me much more freedom as compared to baking. I love the free flow of ingredients that goes into the pot, altering flavours as I go along. I don’t use measuring cups or spoon, everything is by taste.

I have made egg tarts, blueberry cheese tarts, cheese cake, nasi bukhary, trifle for dessert and an assortment of colourful Hari Raya cookies just to name a few.

What I love most from this cooking frenzy of mine is that I get to share the food with my family and friends and I can safely conclude that the joy of cooking lies in every single person which can either be the love for cooking or the love of appreciating the result of cooking. In the words of Oprah Winfrey, “My idea of heaven is a great big baked potato and someone to share it with”.

It’s not such a bad frenzy now is it? This cooking and baking. If only it would last ;)

p/s: Who says single people can’t cook?