Hi, everyone!
Indri here from the THINK-Research team.
There are several previous blogs about hobbies. One of them is Amanda's blog about cooking during a pandemic: https://www.su-re.co/post/essentials-at-my-indonesian-table.
When I was a student, I didn't cook for myself most of the time. My mom cooked for me, and I just bought meals for my daily needs. However, I was staying in the dormitory for 3 years when I did my bachelor. So, everyone had a schedule to cook for others. I just cooked simple meals that I could remember from my mom's cooking. Then, we had a student service program (KKN) for 2 months, and I was lucky not to need to cook. We stayed at a home that could provide our daily meals. After graduated, I worked in a remote village and stayed at the villager's house for 6 months. I cooked for myself and others and learned how to cook traditional food. But I would choose to buy meals rather than cook for myself.
I cooked almost every day when I studied in Australia. You need to save your money, so you need to cook. You know what I mean :D
Then finally, I started to love cooking from that moment. It was a long process and need more effort. I had to buy groceries, prepared and did everything by myself, and if it was not good, I should eat it by myself. I preferred to cook simple meals with simple recipes since I didn't have much time. But, I learned and improved every day. If you read one of our CEO's blogs about 1% improvement, you will know what I mean (https://www.su-re.co/post/vision-think-small-focus-on-1-improvement-and-wait-enlightenment, https://www.su-re.co/post/okr-minutes-and-daily-plans-are-meaningful-even-if-no-one-reads-them-one-person-brainstorming).
After coming back to Indonesia, a Covid-19 outbreak happened, and I stay at home for the longest time for the last 11 years. I cook not only to survive but also to explore my research and creativity to try more complicated recipes. It's challenging yet satisfying.
Some of my cookings (personal collection)
If you read about writing a paper from our previous blogs (https://www.su-re.co/post/vision-how-to-write-an-academic-essay-and-research-paper, https://www.su-re.co/post/writing-ring-structure), you will know that there are some components in research or paper writing. For cooking, I think we can apply what we do in research or paper writing. For example, we need to think about what kind of food that we want to cook. Have we tried that food? Can we remember the taste or look of that food? So, it can be our hypothesis in cooking. If you're craving something or have a motivation to cook, it can be your background in cooking. Then, I think the most important part is a literature review. We need to find the references to search for the best recipe, steps, and styles of cooking that can fit your needs and preference.
Some of my cookings (personal collection)
Have you heard that defining research methodology is like trying recipes for cooking? Writing a research methodology actually has the same principle: the experiments we did must be replicated by other research and produce the same experimental results in future research. This is essential because it relates to the process of validating the results from what we have done. In the research methodology, we need to write in detail about the components and what steps are needed. So, we can say that research methodology is like a recipe for cooking. The recipe should be applicable and replicated by others. The recipe is the component that we need to review if there is a mistake in the result.
In addition, I found this paper: Applying Creativity Research to Cooking (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jocb.124). This paper aims to answer this question: what, if any, benefit might there be to applying creativity research to cooking?. It discussed concepts and theories from creativity research to clarify creative cooking. The paper explored creative cooking through the lens of the 4-C and Propulsion models of creativity. This is my first time knowing these models. The 4-C model highlights different levels of creativity along a developmental trajectory. It was built off of the primary distinction between levels of creativity: everyday (or “little-c”) creativity and genius-level (or “Big-C”) creativity. On the other hand, the Propulsion Model focuses on increasing creativity across different types of products or ideas. This paper concludes that these modelling tools can help people understand the development of creative culinary competence and the various pathways available for creative expression in cooking.
So, do you have any experience when you apply research methods for your hobbies?
Thank you for reading ^^
Since the pandemic, I've been learning how to bake from youtube or cookbooks. A number of the recipes I tried were a failure. I do a lot of research on the ingredients and how they work in the baking process. Consider, for example, the differences between baking powder and baking soda heheh. Aside from that, I enjoy gardening. It's so obvious that we can apply the research method to create a sustainable garden too. Indeed, we unconsciously apply the research method on a daily basis xD
Everything!! Everything is science! Even art is research and science to me ;-)
cooking is like titration for me. if you add too much ingredients, there are many other ingredients can mend it. for example salt vs. sugar. :)
The learning how to cook as a student is so relatable haha. Impressive meals! I can say that there is more a freestyle liberty in cooking than baking. Baking is super precise which is maybe why it is so satisfying every time you succeed. Another thing I noticed that employs the research method is choreography. Which I will write in my blog
Your cooking looks so good! :)
My hobby is to draw, and in the research process I like to do two things; drawing one same thing in multiple 'style' or drawing many different things using reference whether it is other artist work or pictures of things I want to draw.