About Food

Prior to moving out of my parents’ house I had not considered food to be a topic worthy of deep considerations. As is illustrated by this blog, my thoughts on food have greatly changed since then. Although I had always enjoyed eating, my appreciation for excellent food previously emerged only upon having a plate set in front of me and it ended with my last bite. I had put little thought into the origins of my food, the content of what was being eaten, and the all the work that was being done in terms of preparing and cooking the meal. However, studying Urban Agriculture, nutrition, and food justice issues, in addition to cooking my own meals, has allowed me to really think about food in a holistic way, as a source of sustenance that can be made into an amazing meal while also being nutritious and sustainably produced.

For me, food has become a part of my life that demands much more attention that it once had. I realize that in order to treat my body in a respectful manner I must feed it high quality meals. Not only is food a way to improve my physical health, it has also become a way for me to work on my emotional wellbeing. I’ve found that eating a great meal really improves my mood, which in turn leads to a happier, healthier Erick.

Along those same lines, putting the time and effort into learning a new dish that ends up turning out better than expected has provided a weekly dose of therapeutic relief. Cooking allows me to perfect a project on a weekly basis, and the satisfaction that comes after spending one to two hours working on a meal is unlike any that I had previously experienced. Cooking has become like yoga for me, in that it offers a new challenge every week while also providing me with an opportunity to slow down and take a break from an ever increasingly stressful school workload. Overall, cooking offers a sort of relief valve by which I am able to de-stress and improve upon a very practical and useful skill.