You Are What You Read

 
I read cook books and cooking magazines like a teenage boy reads his father's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition or his mother's Victoria's Secret catalog.  

When the newest edition of Food & Wine shows up in the mail box I dash indoors, throw down the rest of the mail, and run to my room to be alone.  My eyes get wide, my heart starts to race and my breathing quickens.

First I look at all the pictures. Next I look at the "On the Cover" section and check out the featured stories and recipes. Then I read the entire thing cover to cover.

You've heard the expression, "you are what you eat," but I think it's much more likely that we ultimately become the person we are because of what we read (or what we don't read, which may be just as important).

What I mean by, "you are what you read," is that I think we gain a lot of our inspiration from the things with which we fill our minds. I think that is as true for blogs and other Web sites as it is for books, newspapers and newsletters, magazines and other periodicals.

I also think this applies as equally to choosing which newspaper to read as it does which cook book you purchase. Both shape your understanding of future readings and inform your reality. Both change you and give you a frame of reference for things yet to come.

If you like to cook and bake, then maybe you're like me and you spend hours pouring over countless recipes, blogs, Web sites, and magazines.  You probably have your favorites, just like you would if you were addicted to fashion or if you were a soccer fanatic:  you would have spent months, if not years, combing through all of the junk until you found exactly what you were looking for - the gems.

In order to be an expert in anything, you have to study it. You must devote yourself to learning it from the inside out and back again. This is as true about food as it is about auto mechanics.

In his book "Outliers," Malcolm Gladwell tells us that the magic number for gaining this expertise is 10,000 hours.

Maybe you're a beginning cook and you're looking to hone your skills. Maybe you're a seasoned vet in a bit of a rut and you'd like to pull yourself out. I suggest you take an afternoon field trip to your local book store. 

Spend the afternoon looking at all of the cookbooks. I'm not suggesting you buy anything, either, you don't need to break the bank. Jot down some notes on the titles you like or the ingredients you've always wanted to try. Take note of the cooks and chefs who have compiled your favorite recipes. Then, when you get home, you can get on your computer and look everything up!

Take the time to peruse food blogs and web sites (I have some suggestions on the right hand side of this page). The more you do this, the more you will learn what you like - and what you don't.

You can predetermine what kind of cook or baker you'll be based on the things you read. If you want to eat healthier, read through Healthy Cooking or Cooking Light to get some inspiration. If you're always in a rush but still want to make meals at home and stop ordering so much take out, pick up Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals or Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade. If you have always wanted to learn how to make your own Chinese food at home, or learn to cook Italian, then get busy reading those sorts of cook books and cooking magazines. You can take the reigns of your cooking destiny.

What happens when you invest your time focused on one particular area is that you learn about the subject from every angle. You'll learn the ingredients as well as the methodology and the tools. And knowing all of that will bring you one step closer to becoming the kind of cook or baker you want to become.

Next, of course, you'll have to actually practice the recipes over and over until you get them just right. As you do this, you'll read and re-read those recipes again and again until your meal is just as you want it. All the while you'll look for helpful tips and suggestions along the way.

And when you have achieved your desired kitchen prowess, remember that it all started because you first read.

I'd love any suggestions on new food web sites, blogs, cooking magazines and cook books. Please send them to me at rn6productions@gmail.com.

Happy eating!