Foreword

When David Tamarkin first mentioned to me that he was doing COOK90, my initial response was “Good luck with that!” It sounded more like a stunt than a helpful undertaking. Who could, or would, ever cook 90 meals in one month?

Boy, was I wrong.

Not only did David accomplish what he so boldly set out to do but, more significantly, he galvanized a movement.

He reminded us all how pulling out our cutting board, a chef’s knife, and a couple pots or pans can significantly impact our lives, whether we’re cooking three meals a day or just one.

Think about it: When we’re the ones doing the cooking, we’re deciding exactly what we put in our bodies. We’re saving money (as much as I love those speedy-quick delivery apps, they add up quickly). We’re sitting down at the table with the ones who matter most to us. And all those memories and smells and tastes that we distinctly recall from our childhoods? That’s what we’re creating for our own kids when we follow David’s lead.

By pushing ourselves to cook more frequently, we not only become better cooks, we become more confident ones. We stop relying on “that boneless chicken dish” we do every Tuesday night and we start exploring our options. And we realize that we can just as easily make Quick Chicken Tikka Masala (here) or Crispy Chicken and Potatoes with Cabbage Slaw (here).

Sometimes you have to go to an extreme to prove a point—and David did just that. He showed us the power of cooking. Now it’s up to us to get in the kitchen and find that power for ourselves.

Adam Rapoport, editor-in-chief, Bon Appétit