Among many great and wonderful things happening to me in my 30 years of life, preparing meal and dealing with edible stuffs are the loveliest.
I love eating, and actually, cooking.
Somehow, it's an interrelated principles: eating and cooking. I will prepare my meal and cook it when I'm in need of food but I simply can't go out buying the ready-to-eat or dine out. And, of course, I will eat everything that I prepare and cook myself.
Throwing-back my memories, I remember making chocolate-based snacks as my first 'serious' cooking moment.
I realize that sometimes I need to have certain motivation to cook instead of just because of feeling hungry, or mood-booster thingy.
The reason why I made dates stuffed with roasted cashew and red cherries covered with dark chocolate was my first love - a guy with whom I fell in love in my college years, who turned out a married man with three kids now. Giving him something of my homemade treat was the reason at first hand.
I remember preparing the last touch of the giveaway snack: in front of the boulevard of Gajah Mada University, I randomly picked up a dry leaf of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis - the one with beautiful yellowish brown shade and pretty shape; then I brought it home, and wrote a simple and meaningful words on it, and lastly, put the leaf on top of the dish. Later when I visited him, I found out that the leaf ended up as a decoration on the mirror in his room.
The snack itself, together with the leaf, was a unity - another reason coming up. A personal touch in the form of simple leaf was beyond my consciousness that I made an art. Edible art. Then, I want everything not only be prepared, cooked or served - but also, be garnished, no matter how simple it will be.
The passion within me to beautify the edibles simply unleashes my creativity - not only in variations of ingredients for the cooking, but also for garnishing (and, not only the materials, but also for the layouts; how I will make the mouth-watering and good-looking arrangements for my dishes).
I mean, in the end, it's not only taste which matters, but also the appearance.
To sum up, presenting homemade treats for the loved ones and being creative as I have never been are among the greatest and sweetest reasons why I love cooking.
The coolest thing happened to me recently is the truth that healthy choices of food is the only option I have. I have to - with the biggest consideration and expectation.
Coming to my 30s never bothered me for I, helplessly, always seem to look way younger than my actual age (no matter how I never like that), but I realize that I just can't do cooking without thinking carefully about what I cook.
What I cook, what I put into my cooking, does matter.
I am never a picky-eater, really grateful for that! But, I am intolerance to certain foods, such as stinky beans and durian - for they taste awful to me.
Moreover, I am always a big eater since I was a little girl. I eat much, almost all kind of food, and feel happy about it. I go for junk foods and unhealthy snacks - but, I try hard and my best to limit my consumption of those these days. Though I have never experienced extreme food, I am willing to let myself taste new and different flavors - and, it's always awesome! I mean, getting myself into new things makes me feel alive and grateful, regardless the truth that sometimes I don't fit in, or simply can't take it.
What I have been doing lately is letting myself explore and experiment with new recipes. New recipes mean new menu and new healthy habits - and those mean: inspirations, from great people behind the medias in the world. I Thank Allah for them.
My husband said that he would love to have me cook and prepare meal, rather than dining out. He also said that I am good at choosing everything - most of the time. Lucky me that he is not at all a picky-eater. He eats a lot, always grateful for every meal, eats everything I make, and I feel truly blessed for those.
Now, I seem to have stronger reasons to cook: being a wife, being a mother - it's family thingy, after all.
Talking about healthy habits, I guess I started it out by having red rice instead of white rice. It was about 4 years ago when I first had red rice in a diner around my hometown. I fell in love at my first chew on it.
It tastes like rice with nutty flavor and crisp texture - and healthier. I can simply say that it is a combination of carbs and guilt-free thingy, for its content of glycemic is far lower than that of white rice. I have read that brown rice is even healthier, but I haven't found it around where I live, so red rice is my choice at the moment.
Without hesitance, I come to conclusion that at my 30s and much to my awareness of the diabetic issue within my family, from which my mom suffered and then passed away in 2001, I need something which is more than just fulfilling, but also responsible, yet delicious and fun.
More to my healthy habit agenda is having breakfast, the most important meal during a day. I really love about how I feel so inspired to have healthier breakfast, than ever. Thanks to Andra Alodita for honey-lemon shot - a new addiction in the morning. Also, for the yummy fruit-based breakfast.
On daily basis, I have cereals or oatmeal, both with slices of fruits, such as apple or banana. Also, a sunny side-up or simple omelette. I enjoy my breakfast with water, low-fat milk and a cup of coffee. Actually, loading myself in the morning feels great, and I am happy.
Healthy habit also means vegetables, fruits and super food. I crave more greens, reds, oranges, yellow, and even purples, such as spinach, broccoli, green string beans, arugula, lettuce, mint leaves, bell peppers, carrots, red/purple spinach, red/purple cabbage, lemons, grapes; despite the fact that they already include in my daily consumption and diet. Just, more. Super foods such as olive oil, honey, almond and licorice are also on the list of my healthy habits. I feel grateful!
Great, fresh, and amazing ingredients are keys to fun and, hopefully, healthy cooking of mine. Most of the time, I steal recipes and garnishing ideas from, thanks a lot, KOKIKU TV for fun, simple and edgy cooking; Just A Taste, Epicurious and Williams-Sonoma for one-stop inspirations. Sometimes I improvise the recipes to adjust my Javanese/Indonesian tongue, but one thing for sure, those inspirations make homemade cooking is a beautiful possibility for me. Truly inspired!
To me, the whole thing about cooking and eating is something which goes beyond the sense of simplicity. It's not just something to cook or something to eat. Something edible, delicious and halal just could be simply-complicated or complicatedly-simple.
What I have been doing lately is letting myself explore and experiment with new recipes. New recipes mean new menu and new healthy habits - and those mean: inspirations, from great people behind the medias in the world. I Thank Allah for them.
My husband said that he would love to have me cook and prepare meal, rather than dining out. He also said that I am good at choosing everything - most of the time. Lucky me that he is not at all a picky-eater. He eats a lot, always grateful for every meal, eats everything I make, and I feel truly blessed for those.
Now, I seem to have stronger reasons to cook: being a wife, being a mother - it's family thingy, after all.
Talking about healthy habits, I guess I started it out by having red rice instead of white rice. It was about 4 years ago when I first had red rice in a diner around my hometown. I fell in love at my first chew on it.
It tastes like rice with nutty flavor and crisp texture - and healthier. I can simply say that it is a combination of carbs and guilt-free thingy, for its content of glycemic is far lower than that of white rice. I have read that brown rice is even healthier, but I haven't found it around where I live, so red rice is my choice at the moment.
Without hesitance, I come to conclusion that at my 30s and much to my awareness of the diabetic issue within my family, from which my mom suffered and then passed away in 2001, I need something which is more than just fulfilling, but also responsible, yet delicious and fun.
More to my healthy habit agenda is having breakfast, the most important meal during a day. I really love about how I feel so inspired to have healthier breakfast, than ever. Thanks to Andra Alodita for honey-lemon shot - a new addiction in the morning. Also, for the yummy fruit-based breakfast.
On daily basis, I have cereals or oatmeal, both with slices of fruits, such as apple or banana. Also, a sunny side-up or simple omelette. I enjoy my breakfast with water, low-fat milk and a cup of coffee. Actually, loading myself in the morning feels great, and I am happy.
Healthy habit also means vegetables, fruits and super food. I crave more greens, reds, oranges, yellow, and even purples, such as spinach, broccoli, green string beans, arugula, lettuce, mint leaves, bell peppers, carrots, red/purple spinach, red/purple cabbage, lemons, grapes; despite the fact that they already include in my daily consumption and diet. Just, more. Super foods such as olive oil, honey, almond and licorice are also on the list of my healthy habits. I feel grateful!
Great, fresh, and amazing ingredients are keys to fun and, hopefully, healthy cooking of mine. Most of the time, I steal recipes and garnishing ideas from, thanks a lot, KOKIKU TV for fun, simple and edgy cooking; Just A Taste, Epicurious and Williams-Sonoma for one-stop inspirations. Sometimes I improvise the recipes to adjust my Javanese/Indonesian tongue, but one thing for sure, those inspirations make homemade cooking is a beautiful possibility for me. Truly inspired!
To me, the whole thing about cooking and eating is something which goes beyond the sense of simplicity. It's not just something to cook or something to eat. Something edible, delicious and halal just could be simply-complicated or complicatedly-simple.
To me, cooking and eating are brilliant ideas!
pictures: private document
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