savor...

Cooking is my outlet. It always has been I love knowing that at the end of a long day at work (especially long being my first day back after a week's vacation in Mexico), I can come home and just plant myself in the kitchen and take a handful of otherwise mundane ingredients by themselves and put them together to create something delicious and satisfying.

Anyone else who's done the vapid stare into the fridge the day after returning from vacation knows the thoughts that were churning through my mind yesterday morning as I wondered what I could possibly concoct for dinner. The half-empty shelves shared little inspiration, so I resolved to take out the last pre-portioned pair of frozen chicken breasts from the freezer to thaw and figure something out as the day went on.

A quick stop at the local grocery on my way home with a meager $20 from my quickly dwindling checking account afforded me an idea and a goal, so home I went. I had recalled a recipe I'd come up with on my own way back in high school when I was house-sitting frequently, most especially for my grandparents who were avid travelers before the economic crisis hit. Knowing I already had most of the ingredients at home and that the necessary ones weren't too expensive, that was my plan. When I really want to just lose myself in the kitchen, I turn on my Pandora Radio and embrace the relaxing, folk-ish tunes of bands suggested to me by my earthy cousin, Kaylan (fellow blogger, photographer and now new mother) like Iron and Wine and the Avett Brothers mixed in with my own personal favorites like Norah Jones, John Mayer and James Taylor.

From there, my hands just go to work and I can only imagine the contented smile I must have on my face the whole time. Once you understand the rules of cooking (or perhaps the lack of rules) and learn what flavors go well together, the possibilities are endless. The harmony of seared chicken and boiling sauce, clinking pans and the slap of spatulas and wooden spoons mingle to produce a symphony of the senses - sight, smell, sound and taste. I know that balsamic vinegar with a touch of pineapple juice, crushed pineapple, garlic and a tablespoon or so of molasses reduced makes a delicious sauce that poured over pan-seared oven-roasted chicken and wild rice becomes an explosion of flavor. With nothing else to work with, a bag of frozen yellow and white sweet corn had to suffice as a side, but with such a delectable entree in the spotlight, it didn't matter.

Perhaps the most satisfying part of the whole experience, though, is knowing that my husband will be both impressed and happy to come home to such a delicious meal. For me, cooking isn't a chore. It's a way to both express myself and express my love without saying one single word. And of course being able to eat my creations in the end is a pretty substantial perk...