Abstract: Cooking Is Easy

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There was a day when I was a boy,

I covered raw chicken wings in mustard, ketchup, and grated parmesan cheese.

In my mind, I was halfway to culinary perfection,

as I shoved the concoction into the microwave with ease.

After the ding, I inspected my monster,

to find a watery, half-cooked mess.

It was my first cooking lesson,

the beginning of a life-long quest.

That moment, 30 years ago,

remains fresh in my mind.

An eager child learned a cruel truth,

cooking is not simple or kind.

As a man, I can sear, sous vide, and grind,

chop, clean, and brine.

I know salt causes amino acid chains to unwind,

and great veggies are hard to find.

My pantry holds sesame seeds and yeast flakes,

my fridge- sriracha and miso paste.

I own dog-eared cookbooks from China, Thailand, and Italy,

of all them full of tasty treats.

I started as the worst and most unintuitive of cooks,

one who tried to fry chicken in vinegar and cooked ham on a kerosene heater.

So why do I doubt my ability to learn or do anything?

Why do I cry when I draw or doubt my mind?

It’s worth a laugh and an eye roll to consider.

I am what I believe I am,

Whether it’s a lie or legitimate.

So on this day,

Late in May,

I will finish my cheesy pros and say,

I learned to cook, and now I’ll learn to create.

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