Passion came from the latin word 'passio" means Suffering or Submission.
That is why we call the" Passion of the Christ" because it depicts Christ suffering and submission to the will of his Father. But that suffering or submission is for his people. For his immeasurable love for his people.
Maybe this is a reason why the word Passion is now defined by Webster as a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing something. Passion is also defined as any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, such as love.
Thus to me passion is submitting yourself in doing what you really love despite of any suffering that you are and will take.
When was the last time you made a great meal? From-scratch prep, serious gratification result. This morning? Last week? Last month?
We all get caught up in the busyness of life. Eating – even healthy eating – often gets boiled down to convenience and strategy. I get it. Few of us have the luxury of basking in culinary ventures at every meal (myself included), but I do find real cooking to be an under appreciated indulgence.
Learning to cook is just one of those essential human skills. It was an evolutionary essential. Our brains as well as our bodies benefited from the chance to access new food sources that were only available to our ancestors through cooking. And it wasn't just about heat. As we learned to adapt food sources in other ways such as soaking, curing, fermenting and smoking we had more options for calories and nutrition. Yet, it was more than that.
Cooking is in almost every case healthier (and much more economical). Most of us would be hard pressed to find a restaurant near us (they do exist), and even in better restaurants with local and organic suppliers, there are the still the question marks lingering on the menu. What kind of oil do they use for cooking? What kind of cookware? While I enjoy going out and have no intention of forgoing that pleasure, there's a certain peace in knowing every facet of my dinner. Compared to the larger landscape of conventional "dine out" choices, you're astronomically better off cooking.
When it comes down to feeding your body and mind, nothing is superior to preparing your food from scratch, with quality ingredients and served with love. If you have never experienced this phenomenon then try it and see how you feel. Come to that, see how your family feels as you work together in the kitchen to create a level of harmony and good health that is only possible when food is prepared in a loving manner, and eaten slowly with others.
Cooking your own food saves money. Purchasing your food in restaurants are considerably more expensive than cooking your own food. Bringing your home cooked leftovers will save you Php60 – Php200 pesos for lunch. It also saves time. Compare time spend in cooking at home to driving to a restaurant, placing your order, wait for your order, drive back home and serve the meal. Its economical and even healthier. Less salts and fats! And the most important thing is that it brings family together. Preparing meals at home and including family members in meal preparation is a way to give and share love. When food is prepared with a calm mind and loving thoughts it can become a tonic for both the physical body and the soul. Teaching children how to cook is a gift of health they will use for their entire lives and pass it on to their children and grandchildren.
I started cooking when I worked abroad. I had no choice but to do all things on my own. I need to buy my own grocery shopping, household chores, laundry, cleaning the dishes and cook on my own. I hated household chores, washing the dishes and clothes. But I enjoyed my doing grocery shopping and cooking.
I spent time reading cook books, searching internet for a recipe (specially MarketManila's blog) and tried it out. I also learned cooking by watching YouTube and foodie channels from cable TV. Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson, Marco Batalli and Bobby Flay became my best friends (by just watching them cook). I spend my Saturdays in Salcedo Saturday Markets and Mercato to try new food. I tried new cuisines whenever I travel or tried restaurants in Metro Manila.
I enjoy and love cooking. I love painstakingly waiting for 5hrs just to eat a Pho. I love putting cream on my hands/fingers to ease the burns I got for holding up a hot skillet. I love waking up @4am on Sunday morning just to get the freshest products in the market. I love cooking because instead of watching tv and playing on IPAD/Phone, I spend it working with my wife and chat with her. I love being playful and creative with food. I love trying new ingredients and experimenting with it. I love the sound of the wok for a stir fry or the sound of the oil splattering on deep fry. I love it when people taste my food and enjoy it. I love it when my family will ask me to prepare and cook for their birthdays or some occasions.
I've been to GoodFellow Farm in the Bahamas and the Sea Breeze Farm in Seattle. GoodFellow farm was a small farm for vegetables that has a small restaurant that offers menu using the products of the farm. Unfortunately, they don't have poultry or other livestock products. Sea Breeze farm in Seattle offers variety and organic food and also as its own restaurant. It has poultry and livestock as well as vegetables and fruits. They make their own cheese from the dairy of the cows and have their own winery. Basically, all that they offer in their restaurant/market are created and came from their farm.
I realized this is what I want to do. I want to cook using my own farm products! With my passion on cooking and my knowledge in farming, it is a great combination.
I started planting my own herbs on small pots and using the harvest for cooking such as basil, coriander, parsley, spring onions, leaks etc. I purchased more vegetables and sea products (not freshwater or fishpen/pond products). I cannot go 100% organic because it's difficult and haven't had made enough studies on such discipline. But at least I cook and know what kind of ingredients that I'm putting in the food of my family. It gives joy that I know that somehow we are eating food with fewer chemicals.
With my background in farming and livestock raising. Hopefully soon I can have my own farm with my own restaurant just like Sea Breeze Farm. I raise my own cattles, pigs, chicken, ducks and other livestocks. I also farm my on vegetables and fruits. And will share it thru a weekend market and my own restaurant (that caters only food from the products of my farm).
I know I am still not there. What is important is that I already started with cooking and being creative in cooking. In addition I already also started with planting herbs, although limited it would do for the moment. Hopefully, I would be able have my own farm (other than the palay and corn farm that I now own) that will serve this purpose/goal. I believe I can and I will.
Leader Michael Manauis
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