Alyice on April 11th, 2008

The Cooking Phase

Anyone who knows me knows that there are only a few things that I can cook and cook well— ceviche, tacos, enchiladas, gourmet hamburgers, meatloaf, and quiche. Other things I can make in the kitchen that my family enjoys are: sushi, Nana’s green bean soup, Val’s home-style chili, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, Gram’s dirt pudding (it’s not what you think), and Mom’s pumpkin pie. Everything else is basically a hit and miss and I miss far more than I hit!

But that didn’t stop me from spending a year, back in 2006, torturing my family as I tried to cook new and exciting things. I even tried to cook healthier—which they swore me to never do again! But that got old really fast as I discovered that I had very little patience for spending hours in the kitchen prepping and cooking then another hour cleaning up the mess.

Of course it was always a great treat when my mother-in-law, Val, showed up to help me cook. We’d prep, cook, and clean up together—making the time fly by. I’d learn a few tricks of the trade—always resulting in better cooking skills—and enjoyed an evening eating a feast fit for a king.

In October my daughter and I decided to throw a Halloween party but to make sure the food was eatable, she enlisted the help of her grandmother. We both chuckled when she asked grandma to come to her party and do the cooking. I learned a lot that day, including the fact that sometimes even recipes could use a little tweaking.

We made Frankenstein meatloaf with mashed potatoes, herb hand-shaped bread, and a few other treats. Then at Thanksgiving we got together to make turkey shaped cookies and apple pies. As you can see from the photo below, my pie didn’t turn out so well. But looks aside, it tasted pretty good.

I may never become a gourmet chef, but I can honestly say that I’ve discovered the secret to cooking good meals lies in having fun. Now when I want to cook up a feast and invite a few guests over, I start with a clean kitchen, turn on the music, and just take my time. I’ll sing and dance while I stir, cut, and baste. And I’ll hold conversations with guests as they arrive. I just wish my kids liked cooking more; it sure would be a lot more fun with them in the kitchen with me. Ah well, one day…

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