No More Frustration

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We have all dealt with many frustrations in our lives. It is part of what I call 'the exercise of being alive'. Do we like them? Big No!

In this article, I will try to continue with the line of my previous one, in which I decided to talk about The Psychology of Cooking.

This time, I'd like to circumscribe myself to the type of frustration a cook, not a chef, suffers when trying to prepare a meal for the first time because he/she found a fantastic recipe in a cookbook and finds him/herself without the proper ingredients, simply because they cannot be found in the local supermarket or nearby store.

What is it that normally happens? First, probably the 'Oh, no!' Then, maybe anger, because having gone to the store without success doesn't make anybody happy. Finally, having to return home to look for another recipe which ingredients are easily found or simply opting for going back to more of the same, because no solution is considered at that moment.

Heck! That simply does not motivate anyone to continue with the adventure in the kitchen, now does it?

Believe me, I've been there, and only my stubbornness has been the one to save me from just 'throwing in the towel' Well, not exactly true. Yes, I've been stubborn and insistent, but then also, I started thinking about other solutions to my problem, because I knew it would not change otherwise. I knew solutions were there somewhere, because God is too marvelous to send us a problem without an answer to the same.

Searching locally was not exactly what produced the results I wanted, so I decided to start thinking in another direction: the internet!

Not easy either. There were too many sites to go to in order to find one article, and then start all over again to find the second one, and so on. Frustration again.

You see, my love for the kitchen is not really for the everyday stuff. I adore adventure! That is why the specialty and gourmet foods are really what hits the spot when facing the 'what would you like to eat?' question. That's what makes the kitchen interesting instead of boring, dynamic instead of repetitive.

Now, what type of food do I like to cook? Deciding on the main dish is the usual everywhere: meat, fish, poultry, pasta? What kind? The usual steak? I had decided on the No answer to that. The same way of cooking chicken or turkey? For crying out loud!

What about a different kind of meat, like the Japanese Kobe, or a specially prepared dish including exquisite Scottish or Chilean salmon ? How about including some caviar?

Then again, what with? Why not some gourmet mushrooms and truffles? Why not with different and hard to find oils?

O.K. Thinking about where to find those few ingredients alone can bring tears to many eyes, but the answer exists. Going to special sites in the internet where all of those can be bought, along with many others, is a relief. Definitely, the only limitation is the time, but then again , that can be solved, because many of those can be shipped to us from one day to the other, so...no more frustration.

All there is to do now is to look and let the imagination fly. All in the kitchen can be solved with just a little stubbornness and desire to achieve.