What Fashion Taught Me About Cooking
I signed up for Masterclass and in two days binged the entirety of Alice Waters Teaches Home Cooking. I’m obsessed, and seriously in love with her love for food.
Despite being a world famous chef and restauranteur who pioneered an entire food movement and cuisine, this darling woman stands humbly in her home kitchen, clutching onto her bay leaves and showing you how she lovingly dries every piece of lettuce in her salad by hand. She talks about cooking in a way that demonstrates her deep appreciation for natural ingredients, connection to where they come from, and emphasis on flavor. It’s so different from any other exposure I’ve had to cooking lessons, where you’re typically taught to follow a strict recipe, measure out precise amounts of elusive ingredients you’ve never heard of, and speed through your chopping like you’re being judged on a cooking show. Alice’s “recipes” are so simple to the point they were just the vegetable itself, salt, and olive oil. Done.
Most importantly, I love her philosophy of home cooking. She teaches how to cook, not what to cook. Home cooking is immensely personal. It’s entirely up to you to discover what you like and how you want to prepare food. There is no recipe; there is only taste. If you acquire quality in-season ingredients, you won’t need fancy tools or spices, as the flavor will come through. If you have fruits that are a bit overripe, freeze them and repurpose them in a different way. If you grow your own garden, you’ll learn about seasonality, sustainability, the biodiversity on our planet. When you’re entertaining dinner guests, set your table in a way that’s warm, inviting, and encouraging of conversation. These are such simple philosophies, yet I’ve never stopped to really think about them. Home cooking really does bring a lot of joy into my life. It allows me to spend time with loved ones, feed them with healthy hearty foods, and be considerate about what I put into my own body. Alice Waters teaches you to slow down, put your heart into the meals you prepare, and share that with others.
As I watched Alice elaborate on her lifelong romance with food, I thought about my own relationship with food. I realized it was very similar to another love of mine, fashion. Cooking and fashion had more in common than I thought. For me, the principles of one also apply to the other. Here’s what fashion taught me about cooking.
1. Develop your taste
First and foremost, use your senses. Let it guide you to what’s best. Experiment with colors, patterns, and styles you don’t typically wear. Put together unusual outfits with the pieces you own. At first you’ll stick to the tried and true combinations but once you try new things, you’ll see the versatility and the possibilities of mixing and matching to your taste. With food, let your senses guide you to flavor. Set aside recipes and explore cooking with spontaneity. Experiment, taste, try new things, and figure out what you like.
2. Pick Quality Ingredients
Clothing pieces make up an outfit. Choose quality over quantity, and invest in basics that will last you a long time. Learn about fabrics and find what works for summer and winter dressing. In terms of cooking, ingredients make up a dish. Pick quality ingredients, and flavors will shine through. Learn about nutrition and put flavorful and nourishing foods into your body. Buy seasonal produce to support your local farmers and enjoy foods at their peak ripeness.
3. Use Useful and Beautiful Tools
Collect beautiful and meaningful garments that tell a story. For example, wearing a piece of secondhand clothing from your mom connects you to her in a cozy and sentimental way. In the kitchen, use beautiful tools that aren’t just functional, but are beautiful to look at and bring back memories. Collect dishware and tools from your travels. I have some bowls I spent extra effort carrying back from Japan, but everyday I get to use and hold these beautiful objects that make me happy.
4. Build a Relationship
Fashion allows you to channel your creativity and build confidence. Just like your relationship with your personal style, building a relationship with food is lifelong. The more you invest in it the more you get out of it. Cooking is a skill that will only help you in life. Food is one of the most important relationships you’ll ever have, so feed your body the nourishment it deserves and fill your heart with foods that love you back.
“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.”
My relationship with food has changed immensely in the last two years. I didn’t know much about nutrition growing up, and ever since learning the truth about all the Costco muffins and Dino Nuggets I’d been putting into my body, I’ve completely transformed the way I cook and eat. Throughout this journey I’ve also learned that yes it’s important to eat healthy, but just as important to eat meals that fill your soul. Don’t develop a miserable relationship with food by following strict schedules, blocking out entire foods groups from your diet, or skimping on flavor in favor of “health.” It’s not sustainable. Define your own diet and evolve that relationship in a way that’s true to your lifestyle.
Alright, that’s all I got for you today. Off to read Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat and really learn how to cook so I can prove all my doubters wrong. (Mom!)
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Photo collage + illustrations by me. 😊
