The Not So Simple Art of Simple Cooking

Cooking is defined as the transfer of energy from a heat source to food. This energy alters the food’s molecular structure. Changing the taste, aroma and appearance of food. The method you select gives the finished product a specific texture, appearance, aroma and flavor.

Simple cooking may sound, well, simple but is far from that. Ask anyone to make you a simple meal and I garantee you that person will scratch his or her head and wonder how to go about it.

Like in anything it is the complexity of leaving things out instead of putting more stuff in it. And since we tend to think that more is better, making things simple is not that easy.

It is no difference in cooking. In the 80s a trend called molecular gastronomy emerged that was trying to go where no cook had gone before. Experimenting on almost cellular level dishes were created you never thought were possible. Today Heston is such a cook still practioning this kind of cooking. For us TV audiences fun and entertaining to watch and sometimes hard to believe it is eatable let alone of great taste. Cooks like Heston Blumenthal look like mad scientists thinking of crazy possibilities and brewing new master plans. A far reach of the daily business in most home kitchens.

Luckily for us less fortunates that are skilled in the art of master class gastronomies, the trend in cooking is more down to earth. Simple food. Simple cooking. Recipes of five or less fresh ingredients. What can possiby go wrong? Mind you, anything!

The reason why you avoid wearing certain color combinations when putting your clothes ready for office, is the same when cooking and mixing ingredients and spices. Some combinations just don’t go together. But failing is part of becoming a better home cook. And by trying and experimenting you will develop technique and taste. By cooking simple the mistakes you might make and the effects they have will be minor and most of the time easily corrected.

In the end the key to good food is the proper cooking of that food! And maybe the simplicity in simple cooking lies in just doing it. Keep things simple, don’t stress and have fun cooking. The best things in life are not only free but simple as well.