The Joy of Cooking: My Favourite Foods and Techniques

There are many joys in life, but for me, one stands out: cooking. Whether it's desserts, appetizers, or the ultimate delight, seafood, each process is a tasty game with its own set of challenges and delights. In this article, I’ll share my favourite foods, the cooking techniques that excite me the most, and my journey to recreate that perfect pizza from my childhood.

The Sweetest Part of Cooking: Desserts and Pies

There’s no doubt that desserts are a treat, and among them, pies stand out. I absolutely love baking. It’s not just a hobby; it’s a form of self-expression and a game that almost borders on play. The house is often filled with the mingled scents of baking ingredients—the rich aroma of a pie crust mingling with the heady sweetness of fresh berries or the nutty undertones of a chocolate pie.

The process of baking is one of meticulous preparation and experimentation. Ensuring that ingredients don’t sit too long is as much a part of the game as the actual recipe. It’s like a dance, with precise steps and movements, but one that can be as chaotic as it is joyful. The similarity between baking and a game is profound, with each success a miniature victory.

Pies as a Family Heirloom

A part of my collection which offers a deeper personal significance is a cookbook from the U.S.S.R. This book, a family heirloom, is full of recipes from my great-great-great great-grandparents and other families as well. It has a special place in my heart, as it was passed down through generations and represents a connection to my roots. No other family has these recipes, so I feel a unique sense of pride in each pie I bake from its pages. The weight of history is heavy, but the joy is immense.

Appetizers and Deviled Eggs

When it comes to appetizers, I have my favourites. Deviled eggs and spinach dip top the list, and it’s rare when there are leftovers. Sharing these small treats with others adds to the fun, as I share not just food, but a shared appetite for deliciousness. However, obtaining these treats has its own charm; the bread bowl that comes with them is always a hit. Guests enjoy it, and leftovers are a bonus when I take the remaining bread to work.

The Intricacies of Seafood Cooking

But the food that brings me the most joy is not just deviled eggs, pies, or appetizers. It's seafood and the challenge it presents. What I enjoy most is not the actual cooking, but the experimentation and problem-solving involved in figuring out how to cook it. I’ve heated food over campfires, engine blocks, and steam manifolds, and even on more unconventional methods like stoves in dishwashers, on candles, or from the heat of chemical reactions. Cooking with radiation, convection, and conduction, and using plasma, chemicals, mold, and bacteria, even cold, has brought me an incredible sense of accomplishment.

The Pizza Quest

But my true passion is pizza. Growing up in a household with a deep love for NY thin-crust pizza, I’ve always had a burning desire to replicate this classic taste at home. However, my home oven can only reach 550°F and only provides an 12 to 14-inch pizza size. This has driven me to explore different techniques to get as close to perfection as possible. Switching to a 15 by 18-inch pizza steel not only allowed me to go to a 15-inch pizza, but also improved the heat transfer, providing more consistent cooking.

The joy in cooking pizza doesn't just come from achieving the perfect crust. It’s the entire process: from stretching the dough and tossing it into the air, to the experimental topping combinations. I spend three times as long as a professional tossing and stretching my dough, partly because I enjoy playing and experimentation. The dough’s texture, the rise, and the final layering of toppings are all part of the fun. The parchment paper I use is 15 inches in width, ensuring that every inch of the pizza is elevated to perfection.

Finally, the culmination of all this effort is the taste of the finished product. Each pizza is a labor of love, and when it reaches my taste buds, the joy is immeasurable. I’ve made pizzas that rival some of the best I’ve ever tasted, and that is a source of immense pleasure and pride.

Whether it’s baking pies, experimenting with appetizers, discovering new ways to cook seafood, or striving to make the perfect pizza, cooking is about more than just the food. It’s a path of joy, creativity, and a deep connection to the traditions and memories of the past.