By Shem Onderi
It has ingredients—
some used fully, some in part,
and some set aside altogether,
even after being chosen.
Those abandoned are not without worth.
Perhaps the cook set them aside
on a scale of preference.
What is left out today
may find its way into the next meal.
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A recipe is often written down,
carefully planned for a better outcome.
The result may be excellent,
or ordinary,
or far worse than expected.
Many of the ingredients are sourced differently,
each with its own history.
Some grow in dry lands,
others over water beds;
some arrive only because of the season.
Yet all come together in the same recipe.
Only the cook knows the value of each ingredient.
The meal will serve many guests.
Some will copy the recipe
and try it elsewhere—
but the results will vary.
Some kitchens follow set recipes;
others rely on trial and error,
and sometimes arrive at success by chance.
If humans follow recipes,
perhaps other animals have theirs too—
in the rumen, maybe,
where, in the slow rhythm of chewing cud,
they mix their meal—just a thought.
Over time, recipes change,
and so do the cooks.
