Why do we need food?

My best friend Poppy and i have had numerous discussions regarding this.

She enjoys food, however she doesn't cook a lot and when she does... lets just say that she should perhaps use recipes and follow them accurately rather than making things up. There is the story that my brother continues to tell of her once cooking sausages and a basic salad for her and her boyfriend (now i would never cook sausages, and would never have someone over and offer that as a meal, and my brother was horrified that she was serving that to a guest!!) she thought it was fine though. This is by no means written to offend you my sweets, i love you and think you're great.

I will let you all know that i made her a wonderful cook book of all the recipes i cooked that she liked that i knew she could cook, including tuna stir fry, bruschetta etc. She still rings me for some advice but she is getting the hang of it, and really... she wouldn't starve if she didn't have that as a lifeline.

But Poppy is a special one, she has always said to me that and i quote

"if i didn't have to eat to live i wouldn't eat at all"

Now i believe she thinks differently to that now, but she has always said it is a waste of time and has never had the same passion for food as i have. I am of the complete opposite opinion. I think life is about enjoying yourselves and doing what you love most. And for me that is food. Whether is be eating, cooking or shopping. I love it all and see it as a hobby rather than a chore. i always try new recipes (at least 1 a fortnight) but there are always the classics that i go back to, homemade lasagne (yes yes... with homemade pasta, pasta sauce and a different twist to the white cheese sauce), zucchini slice, risotto, warm chicken salads, sushi, and soups for those cold nights in winter.

I have been of this mindset for years now. I have been a poor uni student for the past 4 years and even though money was tight, the one thing i never stinged on was food. I was happy to pay a little more for quality and eat really yummy ineresting things, and go for the occasional splurge of some green prawns or some atlantic salmon. I have also been lucky to have my family have a shack at Coffin Bay, so most holidays am fortunate enough to feast upon crayfish and lots of whiting and we do the occasional diving days for scallops which are amazing too.

I always thinks it's interesting to see what peoples preferences are, i remember going to uni and other students commenting on my pasta salads, or sandwiches saying they look fancy and hard work.

To be honest they aren't.. i often have tuna, rocket, pesto, roast pumpkin, spanish onion and cherry tomatoes etc in my fridge. They are all basic staples for me so to put them in a salad or sandwich or pasta is really not that hard. I seemed to make a lot of people jelous but never really understood why people thought, actually still think its really difficult to do.

confused...