Slow

Good morning everyone.  It's a pleasant weekend here in Kansas City.  Mild temperatures are in play here on this beautiful Sunday morning.

Already this morning I've cooked some brownies.  Later I will make a batch of snickerdoodles.  And then some slow-roasted tomatoes. SLOW-roasted tomatoes.  SLOW.

Slow ---- what a great word.  The world moves so quickly, so very very quickly.  It seems we are asked to do more in less time every day, day after day.  Everyone is focused on productivity.  Productivity is nice, certainly, but there's a lot to be said for "slow".

Cooking makes us go slow.  We have to take time for a meat to sit in a marinade.  We have to take time for bread to rise.  We have to take time for biscuits to bake.  There's no speeding these process in most cases.  They take the time they take.  And that's one of the great things about making food.

Would we like to make food faster?  Sure.  But certain processes can't be rushed.  And that's a blessing in some ways.  We are forced to slow down.  We are forced to consider what we are doing, to think while breads are rising and baking, etc.

I love that cooking makes me slow down.  I was thinking as I was wolfing down a huge deli sandwich last night that we often eat so very quickly as well.  And shouldn't we do the opposite?  Shouldn't we eat more slowly?  Taking the time to eat allows us to savor and appreciate, just as taking the time to cook allows us to appreciate the food and the effort that goes into making it.

I love food.  I love cooking.  I love being forced to take my time and slow down just a bit in this fast-paced world.