On Risotto and Life

I will admit that the idea of this post came to me while making dinner for my family. I found out earlier this evening that the tiresome process of cooking a risotto gives you way too much time to think. The constant pouring of stock and stirring, round and round, until the liquid is absorbed, got my tired little mind racing, mulling over every aspect of my life, loosing myself in the contents of that pot sitting over medium heat...

You see, cooking risotto represents life in many ways. While cooking your risotto, you have to repeat the same steps, over and over; pour in the stock, and stir, round and round and round. At first you stare at your rice and liquid mix, and you begin to wonder if all that liquid will ever be absorbed. But look away, or let your mind wander for a few minutes, and suddenly, the liquid is gone! Life is very much the same - you go through the motions of daily life; get out of bed, go to school/work, get home, have dinner, go to sleep, get up the next morning and do it all again. Round and round and round. Then suddenly one day, just like the stock in your risotto, you realise that a large part of your life has disappeared, and you didn't even notice. Blink and you'll miss it!

Cooking a risotto takes a lot time and effort, and when you finally get to eat it, delicious as it may be, it is over all-too quickly. You feel disappointed that you didn't get more out of all the hard work you put in. I guess the message is, as hard and labourious as it is - enjoy cooking the risotto! Enjoy every stir of the pot, and find happiness in every cup of stock you pour in. Going through the motions will take up a majority of your life, so make these times as memorable as the delicious meal itself!