Thirty years ago, a charming man cooked me dinner.
He had this unique recipe for lasagne which included eggs, ham and a home-made vegetarian sauce. He also baked a vegetarian cake with grated zucchini, carrot and cheese. These were his specialities and all I could offer in return was nachos.
But it wasn’t a paint by numbers nachos!
I would create a sauce with vegetarian ingredients and beans, and top it with plenty of cheese, sour cream and guacamole. As a side note, these days I add a dash of sweet chilli sauce to the guacamole. But just a dash so you’re unaware it’s there.
As time went by I learnt to love cooking.
Creating a two or three course meal is a rewarding challenge when cooking for friends, and I’ve perfected many desserts along the way. Baked pumpkin and grand marnier cheesecake. Red Velvet cake. And lately, those delicious vegan treats like chocolate mousse and raw chocolate cake.
Our oven is our friend.
It could do with a clean, but whose oven doesn’t? It’s a testament to sharing love, and showing those in your life that you care about them. From the time you pick the best ingredients at your local store, to carefully following each step in the cookbook, you’re taking your time to nourish those in your life.
That man who cooked me that unique lasagne three decades ago is still in my life, by my side always. And I thank him for starting my culinary journey.
kevin klehr 
Food tastes better if its made by the man you love.
Jean-Paul