You know those people that never use recipes? People who just glance at ingredients and wing it? I’m one of those people, and I never learn my lessons. I don’t cook to eat, I cook to cook. It’s a terrible approach to the kitchen but a fun afternoon nonetheless. My mother never allowed me in the kitchen when she cooked so I learned from watching and replicating, unsupervised. Eggs exploding in the microwave, sauces bubbling up and over saucepans and putting things I should not put in the oven are all my qualifications to be your chef tonight.
Cooking is alchemy. You take one thing, put it through a process and now it’s another thing. Hard grains of rice can be spun into gold with the right seasoning and flavorless flour can make the sweetest of cakes. If, unlike me, you cook to eat, then the best part of cooking is the reward at the end. If you are like me and could watch water boil for the hell of it, cooking gives you a tangible result you can be proud of. A literal fruit of your labor to feast on. If you feel incapable or are struggling with something, taking a few minutes to make some pasta or fried eggs can quickly prove that you can do what you set your mind to.
Cooking for yourself also gives you control over what you’re eating. You can eat healthier and save your leftovers for your next meal. Any vegetable scraps you have like broccoli stalks, carrots, onions or peppers can be saved for broth by boiling them together. You can personalize your recipe like substituting meat for vegetables or adding more spice to it.
Don’t buy it? Cooking is meditative. In 2018, The Society of Public Health Education published a review of research studies on therapeutic cooking and their outcomes. The evidence suggests psychosocial benefits to making your own food. This means you can consolidate a handful of activities into one. A basic principle of meditation is focusing your thoughts and being present. Cooking can easily force you to focus on measuring the right amount, watching the time, shredding or chopping ingredients, going in the right order and stirring or mixing properly. It’s not hard to forget your worries when you smell garlic and onion on the stove.
Cooking is also a great way to break the ice and build trust. Cooking with others means you will be primarily focused on the task at hand, so you don’t have to worry about starting a conversation. You will probably remember and share your memories of cooking with them and they will share with you. You also have to trust that everyone is measuring correctly and keeping time. Everyone will want the food to come out right, so you have a common goal to work towards. One of you might want a creamier sauce than the other or larger portions, so you have to compromise as well.
One of the first things my father taught me to cook was his matzo ball soup. It’s a family comfort food he gave me any time I was sick. It can be really simple or you can dress it up. If you feel the inspiration to cook or are curious to know what it tastes like, I will gladly pass it on to you.
Matzo Ball Soup
Start to finish: 2.5 hours (30 minutes active)
Servings: 7
Ingredients:
- 4-5 eggs
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup matzo meal
- A pack of egg noodles
- Any vegetables and meat you’d like to add
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
For the soup:
- Boil your egg noodles for about 8 minutes
- Cut up any vegetables and meat
- Drain noodles
- In the same pot, boil chicken broth, vegetables and meat
- Add salt, pepper, and any other seasoning to taste
- Remove from heat and let cool
For the matzo
- Separate the egg whites and set aside
- Beat egg yolks
- Add salt
- Combine the yolks, matzo meal, and ½ cup of broth from the soup
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites
- Fold the egg whites into matzo mix
- Refrigerate for about two hours or until mixture is firm
- Make small balls with mixture, about the size of a golf ball
- Boil water in a pot
- Drop the matzo balls into the water for 20 minutes
- Transfer matzo balls to soup
