Stephanie Roldan- Cooking as Art

While watching the Food Network, I started to wonder whether cooking can be classified as a form of art. Early in the semester, Dr. Redick introduced the idea of eating being a "sacred transfer of energy" (I can't remember which theorist this idea comes from). But eating does play a large role in human culture, and cooking has become somewhat of an art form with increasingly artisti ways of preparing and presenting food. Indeed, food seems to take on a more artistic feel when the tastes becomes more complicated and more about creativity and presentation is emphasized (to be honest-most of the food presented on competitive cooking shows would probably not taste that great to us, because the tastes are focused on more complicated styles). The unique role of food in cultural activity and family gatherings also makes it a significant facilitator of family bonding and other events. Many people eat to feel comforted (ie comfort foods), which can have a considerable effect on our mood. These characteristics seem to make a good argument for the idea that food can be considered art.