Evolution of cooking

Do you remember what you first cooked for yourself? I do...Kung Fu brand Ramen. I perfected my way of making it. I got to the point that I only wanted to eat it if I made it myself. In fact the last time that I ate it when someone else made it was at my Grandmothers house on Clark Street in Portland. So I would have been around 8 or 9. The second thing I learned to make for myself was Mac and Cheese. I also made it my way (half the milk and butter) and I began my love for cooking. Back in the day, when I had to really start cooking for myself, I used to over-season EVERYTHING! Food was super salty and / or spicy. I remember when I actually started cooking with regard to the flavor of the raw ingredients. It was in the summer, maybe 5 years ago, T.C. and I were discussing how our style of cooking had evolved over the years. Soy sauce was no longer the main ingredient in everything. Food was always something that we liked to talk about with regard to tastes and preparation methods. You know what, it was when I supervised the third shift at a produce warehouse that it all came to me. It is not the spice that makes the dish. It was T.C. that said "Hey man, I started cooking raw vegetables without seasonings. Delicious!" I was like me too! My point of all of this is that it came to me again, the fact that fruits and veggies are delicious by themselves. Tyler loves fruit and veggies. If I cook them, if they are raw, whether they have sauce on them or "deep deep" (deep deep: aka "DIP" aka ketchup, mayo, dressing, or actual dip). And this serves as a reminder to all of us, food is good. Try your favorite veggie dish sans the butter and spices. It will change the way you cook too.