CULINARY MUSE

Starting my Sunday in any other way than usual, there is one thing for sure: skipping my morning shower to enjoy what I call "freedom of Sunday" - whatever it means! After taking a very short trip to grocery shopping, I fixed myself a simple breakfast of egg, and a mug of coffee, then into the very thing I have anticipated since Saturday afternoon: reading thru a cookbook - because I urge myself to be inspired!

It is FRESH: Simple, Delicious Recipes To Make You Feel Energised!, by Donal Skehan - a Food Blogger, Cookbook Author, Food Photographer & TV Presenter - from Dublin, Ireland.

Upon receiving the package which made me wait for weeks (and, there's nothing I could do about it), I felt excited! How could not I? From the moment I saw the book for the first time on someone's feed, I got hooked - right away! (So, thanks to her!) I realized I need some serious guidance on cooking which are both simple and delicious for my culinary interest is getting intensified.

The book is beautiful, and the recipes are deliciously simple and nutritious. And flaunt it, I must! As a visual admirer, the first thing I did with the book is quickly turning stunningly illustrated page by stunningly illustrated page of it (and up to this point, I felt like I was not turning pages of a book, this ain't no book, not a cookbook - it was more likely an encyclopedia. I quickly recalled one of my favorite moments when reading encyclopedia, about things I noticed vividly: those thick papers, the smells, the textures, the hardcovers, and all the pictures making me jaw-dropped in amazement! That fancy feeling!), then I understood that this was something magical - making me realize that cooking marvelous food doesn't have to be that scary and tricky, as I always thought before. I once had that feeling that cooking was impossible for me.

Then I thought: is it because Indonesian cuisine I grew up with is much richer in its diversity and cooking methods, and is full of intense flavor - so that I feared of being unable to prepare it? Because it is quite complex? It might be so. Both my late mom and my step mom are really good cooks - home cooks by nature. Dating back to when I was younger, I sometimes spent time helping my step mom prepare meals at home: touching and smelling spices and a lot more ingredients which made me thrilled - not only because I realize that Indonesian cuisine is indeed rich, but also because I want to prepare it. I want to cook well. 

I thought I want to start it with FRESH, though it is actually my second purchase on cookbook. The first is a collection of delectable recipes from all different cultures of the world filled with gorgeous photography and design - you know, it's what makes cookbook very interesting to have.

FRESH includes recipes for breakfasts and snacks, and as it says: big on flavor and packed full of goodness!

After having FRESH, I promised myself to look for and have an Indonesian cuisine cookbook which is as amazingly as ones I already collect. I really wish myself a good luck for that!

Contrary to what people said about me, that one of my best qualities is inspired, I find myself being uninspired - seriously! I tend to seek for some streaks of inspiration from others - those beautiful and amazing personas around the world. I feel like my life is complete when I get the inspirations, one of them is from thing I love: cooking.

A muse lets me achieve something far more rewarding: personal fulfillment.

FRESH?

My muse is speaking to me!

picture: private document