For many a house maker, cooking is nothing but a chore. For fine food enthusiasts, however, cooking is an art that has existed for thousands of years. It is believed that nothing fills the soul more satisfactorily than fine food, and understandably so. There's nothing like a well-cooked leg of lamb or a beautifully prepared souffle to lift the spirits and warm the heart.

As an art, cooking can only be truly practiced correctly by a select few. Many can claim to be chefs or cooks, but very few are actually worthy of the distinction. The real chefs are artists, and like all artists, they need their murals, paints, and clay to mold and create the perfect dish. A true food connoisseur will not settle for low-grade meats, fruits, and vegetables. Neither will he or she put up with substandard pots, pans, knives, and stoves. Cooking is artistry at work and it deserves no less than the finest ingredients, the best cooking aids, and Zippo torches.

The Early Bird Catches The Worm

They say the first cut is the deepest. It also follows that the first pick is the best pick. Before you can start banging those pots and lighting those Zippo torches, you must endeavor to go out there before the sun even rises to have the best pick of fruits, vegetables, and meats. Procrastination is an absolute no-no. If you want your dish to be absolute perfection, get your butt off the bed and head to the market bright and early. Remember that you won't create the perfect dish by simply having the best pots and pans and Zippo torches money can buy. Only when you have the perfect ingredients can the perfect dish be a possibility.

You Are Where You Cook

Perfection can only be created in the right atmosphere. You cannot expect to successfully create the perfect dish if your kitchen is the exact opposite. A topsy-turvy kitchen is no place to produce a work of art. Your kitchen is your mural; therefore, it must be clean and clutter-free before you start cooking.

Your knives, spatulas, and utensils are your paintbrushes. They must be stored in niches where their quality can be preserved, ready to tackle the produce that you so diligently picked for your dish. Your pots and your pans must be spotless. There's nothing like a dirty saucepan to spoil the whole picture. Your stoves and Zippo torches must be ready to go. There's nothing more detrimental than stopping mid-cook because your Zippo torch ran out of fuel.

Prepare your kitchen as an artist prepares his or her studio. After all, a work of art is being created in its midst.

Bon Appetit

Indeed, there's no room for error when you're serious about cooking. There's no such thing as a dish that's close to perfection. It can only be either perfect or imperfect, and for serious chefs, the latter is not an option.

Serve that lovely flambe with a flourish and watch a work of art at work as it satiates and fills the stomachs ? and hearts ? of the people you love.