Closet Hobbies.

You may be surprised to hear this,

but I really love to cook.

For the past month, I've been going home to be with my family on Sundays and I've been helping my mom prepare Sunday dinner. Thus, I can prepare asiago-lime chicken or top ramen, but nothing in between. It's either gourmet food or the microwave for me.

I learned about this on my mission: bbq corn - it's amazing. The corn husks often catch fire, but I take it in stride - after soaking for an hour in water, the part you eat just steams inside and never gets burnt.

vegetables are sooo good.

Preparing food stimulates each and every one of the five senses: the sizzling sound of oil simmering in a pan, the aroma of butter-basted chicken as it bakes in the convection oven, the menagerie of color in a vegetable dish, the light and flaky texture of lightly baked, paper-thin phyllo dough, not to mention the purpose of the whole activity - eating your finished product!

feta cheese in a salad = amazing

my favorite dessert thus far - phyllo pastries - they've got a little yogurt, orange juice, and zested orange peel in a sugared phyllo cup, topped with chopped fruit and another spritz of sugar. I want to try it again with some honey. (That's a mint leaf on top - don't eat it)

I hope I've inspired you. You don't have to like cooking, but if you don't remember to stop and take a look around you every once in a while, life is going to pass you by. Find the things you love and then do them.