I was clueless about this

The Day I Fell in Love With Cooking

It was a rainy Tuesday. I had just gotten home, tired and hungry, ready to order takeout for the third night in a row. But as I scrolled social media, a video caught my eye. A cozy, steamy one-pan pasta with tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and basil.

It looked easy enough. And for some reason, that night, I thought:
“Why not?”

I dug through my pantry and fridge. Somehow, I had everything.
20 minutes later, I was sitting at my table, twirling noodles that smelled like comfort and warmth.

The first bite?
Simple. Honest. Delicious. And more than that — it felt earned.

What I Didn’t Realize Before

I was clueless about what cooking really was.
I thought it was about skills, or fancy ingredients, or recipes with 20 steps.
But it’s not.

It’s about presence.

It’s about slowing down just enough to stir something on the stove.
About choosing what goes into your body.
About turning ingredients into nourishment — not just for your stomach, but for your mind, too.

The Recipe That Started It All: Simple Garlic Tomato Pasta

Here it is — the one that changed my mind:

Ingredients:

• 8 oz spaghetti
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Fresh basil leaves (optional but magical)
• Grated Parmesan (optional)
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