What do these two images have in common? I see both as a form of artistry.

The paintings are self-explanatory. I think it’s safe to say that everyone views paintings as art. Above are small two-inch paintings that took me approximately an hour each to complete. I can now say I’m much better at blending colors, particularly blues, than I was. My palm fronds and suns are also improved since last week. Not perfect but heading in the right direction.

See the two seascapes above? They are the same painting. I wasn’t happy with it, so the next day I went back and redid it. In the first version, I intended to paint waves, but I couldn’t decide if it looked like mountains or waves. I painted over the bottom half then made a different horizon and new waves. Then I added the palm branches in the foreground to give the illusion of depth. (Thank you, YouTube videos!)

So, how does this all relate to soup? Well, I don’t generally cook with recipes, I just create and make adjustments as I go. I started with homemade broth. I keep a “soup sack” in the freezer that I add to whenever I have anything that I think would make good broth. The first ingredients I added to the soup pot were onions and celery. I decided to also include minced garlic to add another layer of flavor. Always use fresh garlic, never jarred. There is a world of difference. I added white beans, minced red skin potatoes, and spinach-ricotta dried raviolis. Just as in the painting that wasn’t quite right, neither was the soup. In went a can of diced tomatoes. Then it was time to add the details, the spices. Salt, pepper, and thyme. Still not right. I added a mix of marjoram, oregano, basil, and garlic powder. You may think the minced garlic would have been enough. The powdered garlic gives another level of depth. Just like painting where all shades of blue are not the same, neither are forms of garlic.

I think that cooking and baking are art forms. You can cook for subsistence, or you can cook a thing of beauty. The beauty may be in the taste or the presentation or both. In art you can make shapes and figures to get your point across or you can go in for the details. The details can elicit emotion, show beauty, or both. The level of involvement is up to you. There is a place in this world for both things.

Of course, when creating you are never likely to come up with the exact same thing twice. When painting, this is a good thing. When cooking, I’m not sure. When someone asks me for a recipe for a dish I have made, or even what it is called, I am at a loss as to how to respond. This usually results in said person looking at me like I have two heads until I just start reciting a list of ingredients. Oh well, such is life!