Nourish the Budding Lotus

Try-umph

Life is full of triumph.

Personally, I find in cooking and baking for a gluten-free and vegetarian lifestyle that there is a lot of trying, a lot of experimenting…and there is a good amount of what some might call failing.  You find a recipe that looks really good, so you try it out yourself.  Maybe you don’t normally consume a few of the ingredients that are called for so you test out a few substitutes.  Sometimes the result is amazing.  A new go-to dish that you will be enjoying every few weeks.  Sometimes the results are less than amazing.  But in the kitchen, I rarely call them a failure.

One reason for this is because if you are working with delicious ingredients, it is rare that combing them is going to be disgusting.  Often the results are not optimal.  A bit too dry one time or slightly undercooked the next…not something you would serve at a fancy banquet…but still good enough to eat!

Another reason is because personally, I am not just cooking for the perfect result.  I am cooking to have fun.  I love mixing ingredients, trying new combinations, and seeing what comes from it.  The final product is not always the most important part.  I enjoy the process.  Entering the kitchen, getting ready for a new adventure and in some ways…leaving everything else behind.  Maybe it is the traveler in me that gets its kicks from the kitchen journey.  I just know that it feels good, and even if I am tired when I am done, I still am glad that I spent some time indulging my wanderlust.

Why do I bring all of this up?  Because I think it is important to find inspiration in my experiences whether they could be classified as try-umphs or failures.  After months of being happily absorbed in my new career as a massage therapist here in Santa Fe, and just making quick meals to feed the hunger, I am getting a greater hunger to return to my blogging.  In addition to my private practice and Spa work, I am now working at a chair massage booth at the local food co-op and in the down time have read Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson from front to back cover.  She has inspired me to return to some basics that I have lost over the past year and has excited me to try out some new recipe ideas.

I have been reading my favorite food blogs again too; gaining inspiration and trying out some exciting new recipes.  Not always with the utmost success.  Have you started following Roost yet?  Her photos are beautiful, her recipes look delicious, and she often chooses to cook grain-free, gluten-free, artificial sweetener free, dairy-free and more.  Recently I was captivated by her Harvest Cake recipe and bookmarked it to be sure that I would create it soon.  My cake did not come out as beautifully as hers, but I am still inspired to continue with the idea of the cake that she has created and see how I can get a little closer to the flavors I had envisioned in my kitchen musings.

The next recipe I have my eye on by Coco is the Herbed Flatbread Pizza.  Don’t worry I am not starting to eat meat…  I am just going to substitute…possibly some amazing tomatoes from the local Farmer’s Market….

How about you?  What kitchen adventures have you been enjoying?  How do you feel about try-umphs and failures?  I would love to hear your stories in the comments below.