Zen and the art of cooking

So I'm reading the 1974 classic Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance which has been "on my list" for the longest darn time so I just finally trucked my butt to McKay's Used Books since my sort of strapped local Library doesn't have it.  I swear to you if I win any large amount of money after I have plastic surgery and my nails done - my library is getting a chunk since they need it very very badly!  So okay - I'm was already blown away by the first 13 pages.

Have you ever read anything that was so "right now" for you it's clearly not coincidence?  I've read things before that were just "okay - whatever" and then years or circumstances later I've reread it and was thinking "OMG" that was the best thing ever!  For me - Zen is just working.  Eat Pray Love was like that too.  I'm actually really upset about the movie since I'm sure it will suck compared to the book.  Maybe not.  But probably. 

So Cooking is my motorcycle maintenance I've discovered.  I've toyed with the idea of going to school to learn it right but honestly I would only want to cook for people I love or at least like.  I don't want to get paid to do this, I just want to do this.  Getting paid would change the dynamic for me completely.  We need to eat to live - (just ask the parent of an anorexic) so this is a need thing.  A basic - primal - 3 or at least 2 times a day thing.  It has to happen.  It's just the what that changes.  It can be BK.  It can be Ivy in LA.  It can be PB&J for goodness sakes but it's got to be something.  So cooking for me has turned into a bit of the Zen - actually it's really just dinner.  Breakfast can be weird - Lunch can be an afterthought leftover - but DINNER - dinner is the Buffet - it's the MEAT I've just discovered.  It's the NEW weird food I've found at my crazy Korean/Hispanic grocery produce market (they rock btw).  Dinner is my conscious passionate barbaric YAWP!  Maybe not to the rooftops but at least to the universe via the stomachs of those who consume it.  And parties - oh - I miss the parties.  I miss entertaining those who want to know, spend time and laugh with me.  So until there are more of those - it's just the dinner.  But it is my on purpose creativity that nourishes my family and in return feeds my soul.  Who could ask for more from a chickpea turned into hummus?  Really.