It wasn’t so much a cook off as much as it was for therapy and just plain enjoyment. One of our clients put on the apron washed his hands and started prepping food. He’d mentioned to me the day before how excited he was to “get back into the kitchen and kick some ass”. The laughter in the kitchen is one of my fondest memories.
Cooking With Deb
Anyone who has come through our doors the last few years would know that Deb loves to help get our guys get back into the kitchen; doing their thing. It’s like zen kitchen masters sharing space, time, and skills. Both Deb and our clients are learning, laughing, teaching and sharing precious moments in the art of culinary creation.
On The Menu
Last Saturday Deb and a client cooked up a delicious feast of Jamaican food. First up was a custom Jamaican jerk rub that they left marinating for hours. They then flame-roasted corn on the cob and a few red peppers over open flame on the gas range. They added these roasted veggies to the rice pilaf and the rest of the vegetables were Cumin-spiced and baked in the oven. There was also a pineapple salsa loaded with delectable cilantro. At the end of all this culinary artistry, there was still time to make an Oreo cheesecake for dessert. This particular client found it super therapeutic to help in the kitchen and Deb enjoyed listening to his stories and knowledge.
Cooking Reflections
The reflection came from our client during the meal preparation when I dropped in to catch a glimpse of the healing, the company, and to just check-in. It was invigorating to watch and it was real. The client stated “I found myself a few times looking for my ‘drink’ and it set me back a bit, but I learned something today. I learned that 1) it can be done without drinking and I enjoyed it 2) that in place of the alcoholic beverages make a punch or just have something fun and refreshing to drink.”
It’s learning to live again. To have seen the twinkle in his eye and epiphany he had that day was priceless. Not to mention how AMAZING the food was!
