The Hands On Cooking Experience

I have just read an interesting post in the Accidental Hedonist about how we go about preparing our food.
How often do we actually touch it, chop it and, stir it ourselves and how much do we rely on food processors, standing mixers, choppers, dicers and so on.

Food, good food, is not only about feeding the body, it is about feeding the soul.
The soul, at least my soul, prefers foods that touches and tickles as many senses as possible.

Taste is a given, and vision is to, though the degree of enjoyment or suffering on that one is mostly about how you decide to present the food.
those two are obvious.

What about smell - all foods have smells, it is one of the ways we can determine whether we should could and want to eat something.

The aroma of a dish tantalises and arouses our sense of taste, and is a given to.
Food and sound - that is less obvious and most people would associate food and sound with soup slurping or impolite chewing, but how about the crunch of a crispy apple, or the sizzling of a steak on a grill… Hmmm. I can smell it already.

In western modern society touching food is a little taboo. You will never sit down to a meal in a restaurant, or as a guest in someones home and eat fish with your hands, would you? You would use a fork to bring it to your mouth, and a knife to cut it… all very sterile (and a little sad)

This sterility has crept into our Kitchens and coupled with modern laziness has created a situation in which most of us have never stirred a batter by hand or chopped onions without a dicerslicer dodad.
There is a distinct joy in getting your hands dirty preparing food, and in feeling the thickness of a batter while stirring by hand that is completely lost on the well equipped kitchen owner.
I had no kitchen appliances for quite a few years (except of course and oven and stove top,) so I always worked with my hands.

Since very recently, I am getting to know the Joys of a magimix - that is taken out mainly for grating, and sometimes for mixing and it really does make life easier, which is sometimes necessary in the fast pace existence of a working mother, but in no way does it make life tastier.

I recommend trying the old fashioned way ever once in a while for added pleasure, and while you are at it, let loose and have a meal once in a while without the cutlery. It adds another dimension to the food.