Of good food, good cooks, and good writing....

This week, I've been keeping myself entertained at work by discovering a new addition: food blogs. I am in love with Orangette; and also am more than a little desirous of her life. Writing a cookbook? One of my long-term dreams.

The issue with this, though, seems to stem from either being young or not believing in myself enough-- I can't tell which. I am driven, I am ambitious, and I want to change the world; but part of me is still very unsure that I have much to really contribute. Take the cookbook, for example. Yes, I love to cook. Yes, I have a passion for food and all that goes with it: shopping, chopping, cooking, baking, most importantly sharing it. There is little that warms my heart more than my father (or really ANYONE who truly appreciates good eating) mumbling a genuine this is wonderful between bites. But rarely do I create a "recipe" of my own.

Is it even possible to create entirely new things any more? Or is it as in literature-- all of the world's stories have already been told; we are simply retelling in a different manner? I mean, most chocolate cakes have the same ingredients: flour, eggs, chocolate, etc.

And in the end, the question becomes: does it matter? As Mom points out, anyone can follow a recipe-- there has to be talent behind it to make good food. So even if I base my creations on the writings of another, is the finished product still mine? If it is, that makes me a great cook (which we knew), but doesn't really speak to whether I can write a cookbook, does it?