I am currently still a student at Michigan State University, and sometimes my classes will inspire me in the kitchen or change my perspective on cooking. For example, I am currently in a course titled Spirituality & The Environment, which sounds quite strange considering those are two intense and expansive topics combined, but it truly makes sense. Spirituality is anything that holds true to you and is deemed valuable in your eyes. This could be your family, a special place, or an activity. It does not have to follow the traditional definition. I think cooking is part of my “spirituality” it is a practice I hold dear to my heart, and I truly value the process and all it has done for my mental and physical health. Cooking for me is a ritual. I think through every step, work to bring it together, and then enjoy and appreciate its beauty.

We cannot consume and enjoy food without considering where it comes from, right? The environment is our connection to nature and food. We cannot cook without the environment and all it produces. Cooking can help bring you closer to the environment. When you make a conscious effort to purchase fresh foods that come from a sustainable source, you are helping the environment. When you cook with those ingredients and enjoy that food, you are helping the environment. If you choose small ways to make a positive effort towards the environment, it is not impossible to impact your community.

I am trying to say that cooking goes much deeper than just combining ingredients in a pot or pan and eating them. Cooking can help you form rituals, connections to nature, and maybe a newfound sense of inspiration if you allow it. We cannot think about things, like the environment, with our heads in the sand. Every decision we make in our day-to-day lives impacts another. Maybe this blog post will inspire you to start thinking about how you can help the environment each day. Start small, any positive change makes a difference if you stick with it.

Stay curious and never stop learning.

Buon Apetito,

Madison Marsh