Fish cakes and other happy foods

In my home food is art, nutritious and yummy art. My wife and I are pretty focused on nutritious and healthy but we cook very differently. She approaches food like a pharmacist. She uses precise amounts of select ingredients to make tasteful meal. I dive into the culinary arts like Jackson Pollock. I throw color and taste and smell into a bowl of emotion and display it like a collage. My grandmother used to say food is food, but a good meal takes creativity, daring and love. I like to make my family sit up with wonder when the kitchen smells start to migrate and smile when they get to the table.
I have recently introduced my family to mindful eating. It’s not our cup-o- green tea. We like to savor our meals yes, but we love talking and laughing (we never do this with a full mouth) and gaining the full spectrum of nourishment from the meal together. We do take time to enjoy each bite and we always discuss the ingredients and quite often discuss who and where they came from My wife and son have the uncanny ability to end each meal with the perfect bite. That last forkful is a combination of just the right combination of items. My daughter doesn’t like foods to touch so she sets up her plate in shifts. I am the opposite; I make faces on my plate any chance I get. Smiley faces of Ketchup are common.
We all have different likes and dislikes. We all taste, smell, and see food in a unique way. My glass of water may taste different to me than it would to you. But human nature demands that we all feel connected. Because of this food has been a casualty of conformity. And for many this need to conform makes it far less appealing to have fun cooking. My wife is a victim of this but her rehab is almost complete. Don’t stay stuck in a “white bread” rut. Use a cookie cutter before you make your toast. Save the scraps and fry them with a little oil and spices – croutons are yummy anytime. Put blue food coloring in your poached or scrambled eggs and serve them with sweet pickles and melon slices. Eat cake for breakfast, put berries in your water, and add edible flowers to your oatmeal. Make an effort to laugh and talk about what you eat. Try foods you’re scared of like eel, raw oysters, beets, and hot sauce.
Have fun creating, keep it simple and colorful, and above all if you make pancakes NEVER make them round.
I find that nourishment for the soul comes in many ways and some of them are served hot.