What is a Moosh Pot?

I was recently filling out a survey that asked me "What activity are you performing when your mind and body are most at ease?" At first I wanted to fudge the results and answer something like "Saving babies from burning houses" or "Exercising to the point of top physical fitness" But as I was searching for the right answer, the one that I could be proud of, I was daydreaming about cheese. I can't say what the exact image was, something about melting cheese--it doesn't really matter--what does is that when I day dream, when I am relaxed, and when I am at peace with myself is when I am cooking.

I feel most at peace When I am grating cheese and sprinkling it into risotto, when I am adding just a pinch of turmeric to the quinoa, and when I take that almost-perfect omelet out of the broiler. What I enjoy even more is cooking with friends and family, eating together and drinking together and being so pleased with our food.

Now I am sure that enjoying to cook is no novel breakthrough--in fact it is probably one of the most common joys trumped only by eating. Therefore it is important for me to point out what I consider to be the most exciting thing about food....

That is that food is a very special way to communicate with people. When I choose to buy my food local and organic (as much as I can afford! oh boy) I engage environmental issues (limiting the distance my food travels), social issues (I support local farmers and local economy), Justice issues (the more I support local producers the clearer it is to policy makers that there is a demand for it, and the more accessible healthy local foods will be to all people)..and so on. In the span of just one plate I can express how I feel, without preaching and without whining, but by simply sparking a conversation of WHY, HOW and WHERE. In a safe and loving environment.

So now we arrive to the question "What is a Moosh Pot?" Well for this blog's purpose A Moosh Pot will be my cooking endeavors both socially shared with other food inspired people and those that take place at odd hours of the night when lentils just have to be made.

I intend to share recipes that I have found and loved and altered so that they are just right. Along with pictures and hopefully funny anecdotes--I hope to spend more time doing what puts me at ease...cooking and sharing what is cooked.


A Moosh Pot is born