Using All the Senses
It’s so beautifully arranged on the plate – you know someone’s fingers have been all over it.
~ Julia Child
In our previous recording where Michael Mackenzie of ABC RN ‘Life Matters’ is cooking ‘blind’ in my kitchen, you may have been on the edge of your seat, listening as he cuts and chops an onion with a sharp knife without being able to see. He was keen to have the full experience and wore a pair of cardboard frames that represented a common eye conditions, Glaucoma.
I was nervous as I really didn’t want Michael to hurt himself –this was all very new to him and he was being such a great sport. It isn’t easy cooking with hot food when you have suddenly lost your sight. That is one reason why I included a chapter in my book, Blindness for Beginners: a renewed vision of the possible to share some strategies and helpful tips for anyone new to vision loss.
Sensory Logic
In Blindness for beginners I write: ‘You may not fully realise it yet but having low vision gives you a cutting-edge advantage in the kitchen. That is because there is much more enjoyment to food than seeing it displayed on a plate.
For a sighted person, it is a mystery to work out how to accomplish what they assume to be a visual task. They can’t imagine cooking without being able to see. But surely, the real pleasure in cooking anything comes from our other senses, sometimes even from closing our eyes to savour an explosion of delights as they burst forth from every taste bud.
In retaining your joy for cooking, or even preparing your family’s evening meals, when you have less sight than before, the secret is not to give up altogether but to adopt new methods in your kitchen. Cooking is one such activity where you can let go of sighted techniques and gain new sensory skills.
If you enjoy cooking, you have likely already explored many ways to create your favourite dishes. Practising and tasting has taught you what works and what doesn’t. I’m happy to say that the art of cooking doesn’t rely solely on seeing, and the preparation of favourite dishes can be a tantalising sensory affair’.
Final Taste Test
No matter how well a dish is visually presented for sighted dinner guests, ultimately our enjoyment of food and its success is based on the fine balance of flavours and aromas created by the delicate spices and textures all cleverly mixed together. Not by sight but by sense.’
So how did we go? How did Michael find the tins of tomatoes and other ingredients in the pantry? Did he manage to locate the right spices- did our Spaghetti Bolognese turn out to be edible after all the fun challenges I had prepared for him?
Listen to Part 2 and I think you will agree, being a cook with low vision can really be a whole lot of unexpected fun – Cheers to you, the beginner to blindness!
PLAY AUDIO
Audio Credits
My huge thanks to Michael Mackenzie and Harry Williamson for making these recordings such good value to enjoy for years to come.
If you are an author who would like to record your book, soundscapes or podcasts, Harry is a wiz with all things SOUND. Go to: www.springstudio.com.au
The book launch is fast approaching on April 26th with Writers Victoria. We’d love to see you there! Please register your attendance here:
BOOK LAUNCH – Blindness for Beginners
You might also like these audio samples:
Listen to Cooking Blind in a Tactile Kitchen (Part One)
Peek Inside Dialogue in the Dark ABC Radio National
Copyright © Maribel Steel 2019