(Nimue)
I used to spend a lot of time in the kitchen - I cooked meals from scratch, made bread, and pies, puddings, jams, chutneys and wine. Back in my twenties I wanted to make as much from raw ingredients as I possibly could.
Then boat life happened, and after that small space living meant there was nowhere to store that kind of creation. I got increasingly ill, and depressed and tired and that kitchen part of me slipped away. Kitchen work takes a lot of effort. This summer I've had the resources to start reclaiming that lost part of myself. I've done a little foraging, I'm learning how to make sourdough bread, and I'm exploring the possibilities of making puddings, jam and chutney in a pressure cooker.
I've missed this part of me. I like being the person who does this sort of thing. I like the feelings of connection it gives me to the landscape I'm in, being able to forage and eat from it just a little bit. I have a different relationship with my food when I can make more of it from scratch. It's also better for me. Improved health opens the way to doing things that will improve my health. Of course the reverse was true for too long, that the more ill I became the harder it was to do things that would support my physical and mental health.
There is magic in the making of things. Cooking brings together love, inspiration, life, energy and need, and of course will and intent. Eating is one of the most fundamental and natural things we go in for, and is a key way in which our bodies interact with the rest of nature. Making food to share is such a fundamental part of human interactions too. Food is integral to community and is an important expression of mutual care. It's a big part of all cultures, and an important form of cultural expression that keeps us in touch potentially with our ancestors of blood, place and tradition.
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