Cook the Dinner Yourself to Feed the Soul

Last week, I took off early from the office to visit a dentist and get on with my treatment. However, as the dentist was on a holiday, I, after realizing that I wasted my short leave, found nothing but sleep to kill the time. 

A nap of three hours did bring some good to mind but lack of commitments initiated unrest inside my body. There was nothing new in this vibe flowing violently because I know it for a fact that workaholic people like me aren’t meant to sit quietly. Therefore, I tried to find some temporary purpose for the time being but realized that all the sources I sought to kill boredom were actually the originators of meaningless content. Neither my Facebook nor my Snapchat proved to be helpful. Similarly, Youtube was filled with content not triggering a tiny spark in accordance with my interests or need.

After facing an ultimate defeat from the famous and applauded digital world, I decided to try something conventional. So, I went out on the terrace to experience the changing weather many people in my social network had been bragging about. The fresh gush of air pumped life in me but unfortunately, it was very short-lived. That’s why I had to move around for something else and somehow ended up in the kitchen.

As my empty stomach and responsive mind pushed several thoughts, one of them suddenly focused when I realized that food has always been a silent friend of mine. When there’s no one to listen or care and even my inner self has also given up, the aroma of one of my favorite dishes can surely turntables around. Apart from lifting my self-esteem, the aroma of food while walking through the taste of the dish is very capable of channeling motivation into my body. My imagination often compels me to wonder how a spicy fried chicken is sufficient to cheer me up even though I myself isn’t willing to stand up.

At that moment, my mind smiled upon the happiness my heart was producing and I finally decided to turn my apron skills on and serve only my appetite of liveliness via food.

The decision to make a cheerful meal was in order but exactly what dish or meal was capable of turning my mood upside down in the shortest time span was still under process. Additionally, the constraint in ingredients also pushed my mind to think harder or else the efforts of finalizing the decision would go in vain. So, I began searching the refrigerator for groceries available and sauces cupboard for knowing my strengths. Although it was almost the end of month and supplies needed to be replenished, I found a couple of my favorite sauces and a handsome quantity of sausages and veggies in the refrigerator. 

I couldn’t wait for more to turn my chef skills on and therefore rushed to the hook where the apron was hanging. Afterward, I opened the drawer to find the chopping board and a knife. Finally, I started preparing the dish I had no idea about. Literally, I was clueless about the specific dish I was working on. But as thinking was not helping me or bringing any good, I continued the physical action in the hope that I would end up somewhere. 

At first, I cut long strips of cucumber followed by circular tomatoes and onion rings. Then there were a few carrots and fresh cabbage to meet my cravings and psychological needs. Finally, some olives and jalapenos were present to not let down the taste of so far the mystery dish I was working on. 

My one of many tasks for the dish was over as now I didn’t need to worry about the cutting procedure. But configuring how to use them itself was a big problem. After taking a deep breath and subconsciously realizing the need for a strategy to tackle the big problem, I concluded that the availability of items will lead me to somewhere. In between my multithreading mind processes, I recalled that I had sausages in my refrigerator as well. Therefore, immediately, without wasting any time, I cooked some sausages in the non-stick frypan and sliced them like they are on pizza toppings. After I sliced them all, I put them confidently on the veggies and jalapenos I prepared earlier as though I was fully aware of my doings. I wasn’t sure what the end result would be but again, the thrill was not in knowing what I was making, rather, it was loving the unknown by making the experiment interesting. 

The freshness vibes diffusing out of veggies and the smoky grilled looks of the sausages were penetrating in my mind and I could comprehend the effect very well. However, to cater to the taste of my dish, I had to ensure that the combination of sauces was impeccable. So, I picked only the favorite sauces of mine for the toppings. I used mayonnaise and mustard sauces in addition to a small quantity of garlic sauce. 

Even better than before, the color element of the dish became more appealing to eyes while confirming that the sense of taste will also be satisfied later. I mixed the stuff again in order to make sure that everything is uniformly distributed and not concentrated in some regions only. It was time to clean the kitchen and hang the apron.

At last, finally after putting up so much hard work, wandering directionless and adjusting in what was available, I sat down with the bowl in my lap. As I looked towards the dish, the probability of meeting my expectations with my own cooked meal seemed good. So, I closed my eyes and landed a spoonful of my dish in my mouth. I was convinced that my taste buds in the tongue couldn’t be better served. Within a few seconds, I ate the entire dish and as anticipated, the dinner on that day not only fulfilled my appetite, but also pushed happiness throughout my body. The best dinner I could ask on any given day was not made by somebody because only I knew what power and beauty this ordinary task possessed.