Dearest readers, friends and colleagues – congratulations. You are reading my very first column. Throughout my time in this small corner of the paper, I will write about the topic that is on our minds almost 24/7.
The thing that slips in and out of our heads as we’re doing our daily routines – waking up at 2 a.m. with middle-of-the-night cravings, sitting in a lecture twirling our pencil around the desk watching the minutes go by – that sweet, guilty pleasure that we all must give into at one time or another.
It’s something we all have in common, something we all crave. We all need it to survive, and sometimes, we just can’t get enough of it until we’re lying on the floor belly-up, groaning and moaning until morning. What is this pleasure, you ask?
Food, of course! It’s decadent. It’s sexy. Yes, sexy. The single greatest ability that separates us from the animals, other than our ability to accessorize, is the ability to cook and create food.
Meals have become an art form and a way of life for many people. When I see fried chicken lying on a warm bed of mashed potatoes tucked in with a blanket of gravy, I see a work of art. A crispy-fried, bona fide work of art.
And when you come across a beautiful, plump, round cake iced to perfection and displayed tall and proud on a crystal cake stand, I think that deserves some recognition. That, my fellow food fanatics, is what this column will be dedicated to.
Food can bring people together and make people happy. It can turn a cold, rainy day into a warm, fuzzy memory. Of course it’s cheesy, but only the best dishes are.
My first childhood memories are of food. It was eating raw cookie dough out of the roll and watching my grandma make cornbread in a cast-iron skillet.
It was helping my mom make chicken pot pie and making the whole house smell like buttery, flaky goodness.
Food isn’t just a meal. It’s an experience. I believe that a great meal can inspire happiness. Because who can argue that pie isn’t the bomb diggity?
Not only should food be delicious, it should be made with simple ingredients. The recipes I will offer you in each column will reflect that in every way. Simple ingredients, simple dishes and bangin’ flavors. Scout’s honor.
Column by Madison Wepfer, Assistant Features Editor