reminder that baking - often considered aesthetically more beautiful and more of a test of skill than cooking regular meals - requires a shit ton of expensive utensils and ingredients. everyone was baking during lockdown and I couldn't which made me feel like shit https://twitter.com/shazia_etc/status/1344111836455706625

a big part of cooking with social media is about agency (your parents won't let you cook certain things or shit on you for cooking 'useless' things), expensive ingredients (we all know how much better expensive baking chocolate tastes), and a great camera to capture it with

anyone can cook. in the right environment, you will too and everyone will love what you make. you will be happy with what you make.

if you're the exception to the rule, I'm very happy for you. please feel free to share your solutions with everyone else. but a) we shouldn't need exceptionality and b) please refrain from acting like it's just a matter of effort. many don't have the time or access for that

the point of this is to be a reminder that most of what we see being baked on social media is a matter of wealth, time and access (shot with expensive equipment) and failure to replicate that is not your own fault. it's not reflective of your ability but your environment