I like to cook. If you happen to be any of my previous roommates this statement may come as a surprise to you. It’s true though, I enjoy cooking and baking and anything involving food really.
The truth is, despite what my old roommates may tell you I really enjoy making food. I have a secret Pinterest board dedicated to all the delicious recipes I find and pin with the intention of making them one day. If there’s a film or documentary or even book about food, there’s a good chance I’ve seen it.
Being able to take basic ingredients and turn it into something delicious is exhilarating to me. Although I could never be a Michelin star rated chef, I take pleasure in making something that’s enjoyable be it sweet, spicy or savory.
I don’t remember when I began experimenting in the kitchen. As a child I would watch my mother whip up a meal, she’d improvise if she didn’t have a recipe or an ingredient, and as the intoxicating aromas filled the house I knew, without fail, she had once again created an amazing dish. Needless to say, it was inspiring.
Overtime, she began handing the recipes to me beginning with the basics like chocolate chip cookies or soup. Eventually I branched out and am now a master at flourless chocolate cake, croquetas and vegetable curry (recipes to come).
To this day I still watch my mother cook or bake, and when she lets me, I occasionally help out. Helping out means finding a new recipe for her to try or occasionally being the one to make dinner. Which is great for me, because in addition to my secret aforementioned Pinterest board, my favorite magazine is Bon Appetit (by Conde Nast).
As much as I love food, be it creating it or eating it, I’m what one would consider a selective chef. I bake and cook when the feeling hits and if I have all the ingredients. Hence why many of my friends believe me to be incapable of making a meal.
So in an attempt to expand my diet, expand my repertoire and prove that I can in fact cook/bake, I have created: Just Add Salt.
The intention with this column is twofold. It’s partly motivation for me to start cooking and baking more instead of pinning recipes and talking about it. The second reason is for you, the reader, to show that creating something delicious isn’t hard, to expand your food horizons and to help you learn from my mistakes.
Just Add Salt, is going to be an adventure. I encourage you to follow the recipes yourself, add your own variations and styles. Some weeks it will be nutritional food other weeks it will be desserts. The food may even be vegetarian, it just depends what’s in stock and if I’ve gone to the store.
Finally, remember this despite the title, sometimes salt isn’t necessary. If it’s bad, it’s bad, if it’s good, it doesn’t need salt and if it’s sweet, add a little sugar. Salt can be anything you want it to be, sometimes it will be curry or cayenne pepper, other times it’ll be sprinkles or chocolate chips. As long as you find someone else to clean the kitchen it doesn’t really matter.