I've thought of another big reason I cook now more than ever, is that the area of the Midlands of England I now live in has lots of local dishes: Pies, Lobby, Oatcakes, Cheeses, etc. that are difficult with a gluten and dairy-free household. I really need to try making my own oatcakes (You can get gluten free ones reasonable locally but I want to make my own. The local oatcakes are like a savoury pancake rather than a hard biscuit like the Scottish version). I miss the cosmopolitan city that is London and all the flavours. It is easy to buy all sorts of Asian ingredients locally so I can still cook a lot of dishes I used to buy or cook. There is also an couple of African shops I need to explore. Even Morrisons (big supermarket) sells octopus, which apparently is generally sole to the Chinese population here.
Just need to find somewhere that sells decent olives! I miss the local Turkish deli in East London.
You enjoy cooking because you enjoy cooking. But why is it enjoyable? I am trying to work out why I enjoy it - is not as straightforward a question as I at first thought...
