For me, the cooking process is the clearest example of how we develop broadly applicable skills while doing something we love. I believe that cooking not only develops our learning agility, but it also develops analytical skills and mathematical thinking. Of all the skills we acquire in the cooking process, I think that creativity and innovation are the most powerful. Cooking is one of the fastest ways to exercise your creativity, especially because you play with temperature, a mechanic that is very sensitive to time.
Whether it's a stir-fry or a braised pork shoulder, the time it takes for a piece of food is significantly shorter than that of any painting or sculpture. Like making music or poetry, cooking requires understanding interconnection and harmonies. Anyone can mix and match two random sets of ingredients, but not everyone can cook. Understanding the relationships between ingredients and their interactions is crucial to creating a successful dish.
This conscious openness is precisely what is at the center of any creative process, regardless of what we do and the medium we use. The process of making food teaches us to be aware and drives us to master them. To cook well you also need creativity. It is very important not to be afraid of experiments.
The most famous chefs sometimes combine ingredients that cannot be combined and are impressed by the unexpected results. Of course, experiments are not always successful, but it's also important not to give up. Success and a happy future are worth all the failures of the past.
