Cooking as a hobby

A hobby can be anything that brings you happiness, peace, and adds color to your life. For me, cooking undoubtedly fulfills those. I am optimistic it will continue for many years to come. To me, cooking is not just mixing up a few ingredients to make a dish; it is a wholesome concept. The pleasure of taking out measuring cups, precisely weighing all the ingredients, carefully incorporating the ingredients, and watching how they beautifully become the desired dish is an entirely magical process.

I find that cooking helps me spread happiness with my family or with my friends. A small home-made cookie can bring a smile on everyone’s face during a gathering. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing my loved ones relishing the food I cooked with so much love. Cooking may also be therapeutic; it is meditation with the promise of having a good meal afterward. It effectively plays a role in specific treatments against depression, anxiety, and addiction. Cooking diverts the mind, and brings in positive thoughts, nourishing our psychological well-being. Hence taking up cooking during this pandemic period can be most beneficial. Thanks to satellite channels, we can enjoy the daily teachings of celebrated French chef Cyril Lignac – in ‘Tous en Cuisine avec Cyril Lignac’ – offered by M6. This is a live show, specially designed for the lockdown period, allowing people to prepare simple dishes in a most enjoyable and friendly way.

Cooking does not require any specific skill set. You just need to thoroughly follow the recipe and be careful with sharp objects such as knives and blades. The secret ingredient to all my dishes is adding 500 grams of love. Trust me, this works each time perfectly. Indeed, cooking is a beautiful process. Each time I try a new recipe, I become even more passionate about my hobby. Indeed, sometimes, the outcome can be a complete fiasco, but the experience matters most after all.

Today, owing to the dazzling evolution of technology, cooking has never been so easy. Thousands of cooking tutorials are readily available on the internet and require just a few clicks to have access to. From Indian cuisine to Mauritian dishes, there are many cooking videos on YouTube, with reliable recipes and cooking techniques. I highly recommend the videos of ‘CupcakeJemma,’ a London baker, who gives step-by-step instructions alongside handy tips to have the perfect cake. For Mauritian cuisine, the YouTube channel ‘Cuisine Mauritian’ provides a wide variety of foods from all the different cultures in our island. The latter’s videos are straightforward and short. The ingredients needed are readily available at supermarkets, substantially enhancing the whole process of cooking.

I, myself, do have some tips. To be a better cook, carefully read the recipe and make sure you don’t miss any ingredient. Precisely weigh all your ingredients using a reliable scale and try to do so before starting your recipe. This will help you to be more organized and proceed orderly along with the steps. Wear an apron and protective gloves, especially when dealing with the oven. Always regulate your timer and keep on checking the dish from time to time. Most importantly, have trust in yourself and be confident. Always be positive when starting a new dish and never give up! Anyone can cook; that is the beauty of it.

Written by Nawaal