Until a few years ago, cooking was something I did out of necessity — quickly, impatiently, and without much thought for flavour, technique, or presentation. The results were hit and miss (mostly miss!). I ate to be full, not to be nourished or delighted. That constant lack of satisfaction led me to eat more, not better.
Long hours in a stressful job left me too tired to cook properly, so I relied on fast food, takeaways, and convenience meals. My main goal in the kitchen was to use as few dishes as possible.
Then my lifestyle caught up with me — slowly at first, then all at once. During the Covid-19 pandemic, my health took a turn, and a few years later, I had to step away from work to focus on getting well again.
Life led me to the countryside, where I reconnected with old friends — all food lovers — and discovered a new rhythm of living. Suddenly, there were no convenience options, no meal delivery services, and only a modest local grocery store. What there was, though, amazed me: homegrown vegetables, fresh eggs from the neighbour down the road, local dairy, and a sense of community built around food and sharing.
I’ll never forget the first time it was my turn to cook for our group. Terrified but determined, I chose a simple oven-baked pasta with roasted tomatoes. To my astonishment, it was a smashing success! That moment changed everything — it was the spark that ignited my love for cooking.
Shortly afterwards, my doctor suggested that I adopt a ketogenic diet to help manage some of my health issues. It worked — but it also changed everything. I realised that if I wanted to be sure of what I was eating, and to keep my carb intake under control, I’d need to cook everything myself.
At first, that sounded daunting. But it quickly became the thing that drew me in. Cooking turned from a necessity into a craft I wanted to master. I wanted my food to be delicious, not something that felt like a restriction — and I wanted to prove to myself that I was worth the time and effort.
Since then, I’ve dived in head-first. I watch cooking shows, follow professional chefs and celebrity home cooks online, and love reimagining their dishes in simpler, more homey ways. I might not produce food that’s plated with tweezers, but I can make it taste amazing — and that’s what matters most to me.
These days, my kitchen feels a bit like a test kitchen: full of experiments, discoveries, and the occasional spectacular failure. But each dish teaches me something new. For me, cooking keto isn’t about restriction — it’s about creativity, flavour, and the quiet satisfaction of making something truly delicious from real, whole ingredients.