It was unusually sunny today in Pittsburgh and a bit warmer than usual. So In heading out for a car wash, I eventually ended up at the bookstore in which I had one the most interesting conversations at the bookstore with a young lady interested in cooking.
It was late afternoon, I had decided to take the car to get a much-needed car wash with the warm weather to rid it of that winter road salt. I thought maybe I should also stop at the grocery store along the way before heading back home after the car wash. I had only planned on stopping at the local Market District grocery store in Robinson, PA that I frequent to pick up a few groceries which I did.
I figured maybe I also stop at the Barnes & Nobles store nearby to see what’s new and browse a bit my favorite sections looking at the new cooking magazines and cookbook section. While browsing an interesting cookbook, a young lady came by looking around the section and interestingly asked something about cookbooks. How interesting! She seemed quite overwhelmed in deciding where to start seemingly interested in cooking and cookbooks. Her name was Samantha. I mentioned to her that “hey I cook a lot, I’m into cooking”. Yeah, I’ve got a lot of cookbooks too.
We struck up a really good long conversation about various aspects of food and cooking. We talked about cookbooks, picking cookbooks, being inspired by other popular chefs, food, TV shows, just cooking in general and just learning to cook as well entertaining others. She seemed like a young lady who was new to cooking, maybe finding her way into a new cookbook. Possibly also being inspired in some way by a cookbook of some sort to improve her skills. She seemed unsure just where to start with a cookbook and perhaps overwhelmed with all the cookbooks around to decide. And so Samantha and I had a lengthy conversation about food, cooking and learning to cook.
She seemed inspired and overwhelmed at the same time as someone somewhat new in learning to cook and improve their skills. We talked quite a bit and as our conversation went on in the moments lost to time I could tell she seemed quite interested in learning about cooking and in gaining new skills. We had a good chat. Eventually, the conversation ended as time was rolling on and she had somewhere else to be. It was one of the most pleasant conversations I’ve had in recent memory with someone else seemingly fascinated with food culture and learning to cook.
I hope you find your way, Samantha. I hope our conversation inspired you in some way to move forward and just start from where you are, have fun and find someone or something that inspires you on your food journey. Maybe you’ll start a blog too, who knows. But hopefully, in some way, our conversation has inspired you. It certainly inspired me to write about it and getting back to writing around here again. We all need someone in life that inspire us in some way towards our own adventures. Even if it’s just a little inspirational push, it all makes a difference.
David Lebovitz – My Paris Kitchen
Before I left the bookstore, I picked up a copy of My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz the book I was previously reading. I like cooking stories and I like French Cooking, there are some food stories to read and recipes to try here. Another book for my ever expanding cookbook collection.
I remember my inspiration to write about food. It was a chance encounter with a 7-year old boy who I met during a field trip in rural Kenya. His family, who were my hosts, generously invited me into their humble home and shared their food with me, while David entertained me with stories from his active imagination. Sitting there with strangers and sharing a plate of food inspired me to think about food in ways I hadn’t previously allowed myself to. Sometimes, we find inspiration in the most obscure places. I am glad you found the inspiration for this beautiful post from that chance encounter with Samantha.
Stay blessed!
Emem