The experiment I am working on is this: that if I can get people that share an interest in food and a passion for meeting new people together, relationship bonds that would not have been formed in any other circumstance are being built in the process of producing a final product-being the meal in this case. Now, I understand that people are not perfect and not every session will be sunshine and rainbows, but that is not the point, the point is to venture out into the unknown and invite new and refreshing ideas and situations into your life, to fulfill the desire to adventure that tugs on our hearts- and, hey, we make friends and get some food in our bellies on the way.
So, without further ado, the this crazy idea I have been brewing up in mah brain. The first step is to somehow get people with the mutual interest of cooking together; mind you that “interest” does not necessarily mean ‘good at’, lets face it, you can suck at cooking and still get something from this venture. Now, back to where we were: whether it is a website, an app, or whatever mode of communication- I have not quite worked that out yet- we get people to meet and give them the following set of directions…
First, muster up a few fellow expeditioners through said method of communication and designate a place outside of a grocery store, farmers market, or whatever to meet and embark on this culinary journey. This group of people will have to decide on a budget and how much each person is willing to pitch in for groceries to make the meal; this leads to one of the major choices presented in the process: should you be organized and pre-plan every single aspect of the journey to ensure efficiency, or should you just take everyone’s creative juices and let them run wild. You could plan a budget beforehand or you could just go where the wind takes you assuming you won’t break the bank with a little freedom. This process of picking out groceries should break the relationship building ice, this is an opportunity to share ideas, to mix cultures, to get a little wild, and to trust the other people, and take some risks with your meal.
Next, after you have acquired all of the necessary ingredients, head off to a designated cooking area; this could be someones personal kitchen, a public kitchen, a campfire with cast iron pots and pans, it can be anywhere that cooking can be done. I understand that not everyone wants to bring strangers into their home, but hey that is up to each individual group of people. The only direction to go from here is to actually get this cooking train chugging.
This is where the real magic happens, the participants will need to work out jobs and cooperate in order to create a final dish, this dish could be anything from a grilled cheese sandwich to a six course gourmet deal, but the purpose is to create something new by mixing ideas and to develop bonds by working with your fellow man and creating something beautiful, not always in the physical sense of the word. Share ideas, work together, and take in what each individual has to offer.
Once you have something edible, or even not so edible (the experiment could end with burnt toast, but that is not important), take some time to sit down and enjoy the company of these people that you have been slaving with for the day to produce a final product. Enjoy what you have made, if it turned out less than delicious, oh well, just use this part of the process to really socialize and talk with the people with whom you have participate in this adventure, because, chances are, you have not been able to relax and kick your feet up since before the start of this experiment.
Hopefully, you have gained something from this little excursion from normal life and will be willing to try it again sometime. Once again the entire point of this project is not to make a perfect meal, even though that may be a byproduct, but it is to meet new people and experience different cultures that you would not have otherwise and to build relationships with the people who worked with you during the experiment. Once you have done all this there is only one more thing to do: get more people involved and try again… I guess that was two things.