The Unexpected Joy of Cooking

I have always loved cooking. My first love is baking. I remember as a little girl listening to my grandmother (paternal) talk about what she was planning to bake for us, she lived with us after my grandfather passed away. I would get all excited about the search of ingredients, the tools and gadgets she would use, the sifting, grating and beating of ingredients and most of all the smell of the whole house while she is baking engulfs us all with her special ingredient - love. She baked and cooked better than my mother ever did, and we all knew that - even my mother knew it, but never said a word about it. The best part of all was the great memories of taste and savory treats she would make. It always brings a smile to my heart when I think of the time she took to teach me how to make things and I think that was when I first fell in love with cooking.
I remember the foot stool I would stand on as I would mutteringly do the dishes and cleaning of pots and pans and tins. But the licking of the beaters dripping with chocolate and batter - yum!
And all the best times of my life revolved around the kitchen - in one way or another. I remember baking my first official boyfriend a cake - a resounding success that even his mother loved it. And she too was a great baker. My boyfriend thought I did not know how to cook anything and I did surprise him - in a very good way. We are still friends - tells you alot about what a good pastry or dish can do to eternal friendships.
Now, I do not bake that often but would love to take it up again. I can remember the first time I coherently said I was going to give up cooking and baking - when I moved to a condo with electric stove. Baking and cooking on an electric stove is almost akin to the kiss of death. I swore off cooking in general and baking in particular at that time. And now, lo and behold - I have 2 gas ranges. I would love to practice my baking and culinary skills again before I show them to my "R". I have mounds of recipes that I brought with me to Buenos Aires. I would love to tap into that well of a great feeling of joy everytime I cooked.
Someday soon, I hope to make it an everyday part of my life, be it cooking for me or a group of friends. I know my taste and cooking will be different than that of my BsAs friends but I too am willing to learn how food is prepared here traditionally or untraditionally. I for one love hot and spicy food and that is somehow not too popular in BsAs but there are other international dishes I can prepare that would be a good halfway between both worlds. I like the sound of that.
As I sit here and type this I think I will brush off some of those dust on those recipe pages and start thinking about what good stuff to cook, cannot wait to get this house smelling like warmth and love all over.
I will share what new recipes I have concocted. That would be great sharing my true food finds with you. Ciao.