Remembering the Joy of Cooking

When Jill was about six years old, she’d watch her mother bake cookies, pies, chocolate cake with boiled icing, and homemade doughnuts. Her mother (who worked full time) designated Wednesday nights for baking. That was “her” night, she said. In a way, it was Jill’s night as well, because she got to taste the delicious baked goods. The smell of cinnamon and vanilla clung to the moist air and a layer of flour covered the counter. But the one thing that really captured little Jill’s attention was one page of one particular cookbook. That one page captured the joy of cooking for Jill, although she didn’t know it at the time. It was a simple photograph of petit fours. Jill didn’t even know what that meant. All she knew was that those little morsels looked incredible! Each piece was frosted in the colors of Easter…soft pink, baby blue, pale green, and creamy yellow. The photograph popped from the page, as if you could reach into the paper and pull one out. 

Are you a Jill? Has the joy of cooking been introduced to you from a young age? If you’re considering a culinary education, remember what it was that inspired your joy of cooking when times get tough. Any of the top culinary schools will put you through your paces, but if don’t lose sight of why you chose the career in the first place, you’ll make it straight to graduation day and beyond.