Life Lessons from the Kitchen

The kitchen is a classroom and a journey I shared learning to cook with my mother and grandmother.

Many people know that the kitchen is my happy place, a safe and sweet haven. Lessons, in addition to cooking, included love and learning how food connects to life itself. There is wisdom concealed in the act of cooking. It can be an instant rewarding celebration of flavor. Or it can be a life lesson, keeping you humble with lots of opportunities to learn about loss, imperfection, acceptance, perseverance, grief, willingness and ultimately a simple forgiveness that leaves you with a choice to either throw in the dishtowel or try again. Here are some guidelines that not only resonate in the kitchen but also in living life.

Embrace the Present and Savor the Beauty of the Now

Cooking and life require us to pause and appreciate the beauty of the present. From the rhythm of chopping vegetables to the gentle stirring of sauces there is a lesson in the richness and depth to both cooking and life. If you run out of a particular ingredient, improvise. Be open and move forward with what you have and create an original dish. In real life this skill is known as problem solving where we look at all the available options for a solution.

Accept Mistakes and Learn from Them

Kitchen calamities are not seen as failures, but as an opportunity to grow. My teachers were patient and taught me the power of resilience and the importance of learning from kitchen failures. Nothing can change negativity faster than gratitude from understanding that life works for you, not against you. Cooking, like life’s journey, provides valuable lessons from our mistakes.  The kitchen teaches a great lesson about trusting life and being resourceful even when you’re experiencing a kitchen calamity.

Be kind to yourself.

Trying to be perfect every time you are in the kitchen is a setup for failure. We learn at an early age that a job worth doing is worth doing right. As much as we benefit from those words, it is a philosophy that is hard to serve because life is not perfect, and neither are we. Everyone wants to be successful but there is no reason to berate yourself if something goes wrong trying. Those who follow me on social media know one of my most ardent mantras is Be Kind. And that includes being kind to yourself.

Live fully: Engage Senses and Emotions.

We see, hear, smell, taste, and touch, every time we cook. The sound of banging pots and pans, vibrant colors of fresh ingredients, smells that delight, sounds of foods frying and the flavors creating a sensory delight.  We should hope to live our lives engaged with our surroundings and let our minds grow and emotions embrace it all. Nothing is wasted if we do not appreciate the simple beauty that encompasses it. 

When you don’t know what to do, DO NOTHING.

Kitchens can be chaotic. When you feel the heat building and the countertop starting to spin, stop what you’re doing and take a deep breath to get your bearings. So, it is with life. There is not always a ready solution and sometimes the best solution is to do nothing. This teaches the need to be prepared for life’s surprises.

You are the cook of your own kitchen.

One of the most important life lessons from the kitchen is to take responsibility for your actions, for your successes and your failures. Everyone has the answer, and you’ve got to make your decisions based on your experiences in the kitchen and in life. Appreciate someone else’s recipe for life, it works for them. The kitchen diva is always whispering in my ear.  I’ve finally figured out my life’s recipe, but it took me a whole lot of time in the kitchen to get there.

To learn more about Ellie’s kitchen wisdom and recipes, grab a copy of her book Generations of Good Food at Amazon, Barnes and Noble or most online book retailers.