I wasn’t always proficient in the
kitchen, as my sisters and I were not encouraged to cook growing up. I lived in
my Grandparents home for ten years along with a cousin, mother, and
my three sisters. Only my Grandmother and Mother cooked and we were shooed
outside or in our rooms. My Grandmother’s tolerance had diminished after all
the years of raising her own children, who eventually one by one moved back in
with their children. The only time we were permitted in the kitchen to actually
cook was Saturday...leftovers night. If there weren’t enough leftovers to feed
all seven people in the house we made plain cheese omelets and toast. It was a
treat to be able to crack open eggs plopping them in a bowl, tearing a slice of
processed cheese food in little pieces dropping into the egg
and clumsily beat them with a fork. This could be the reason I love
breakfast for dinner! Breakfast is my favorite mealtime; I love the smell of
coffee brewing, the sound of bacon spitting in the fry pan, the taste of salted
butter, and the sight of the browning filigree edge of egg whites with bright
golden eyes as they slide off the spatula onto warm toast.
When I met my husband Chris back in 1979 I don’t think I
even knew how to boil eggs, let alone bake a potato. One evening I decided to
serve baked potatoes, I wiped off the spuds carefully and placed them in the
oven, probably not pre-heated and the temperature dial turned on with reckless abandon.
Sitting in the small apartment Chris and I shared we suddenly hear a loud BANG!
What was that we wondered as we rushed to the kitchen? Slowly opening the oven
door we discovered a starchy mess; the potatoes exploded. I didn’t know you
were supposed to pierce the skin of the potatoes before shoving them into the
oven. Needless to say I not only learned how to bake potatoes properly but it
was my first lesson on cleaning the inside of an oven. Chris knew how to cook
certain meals as his Mom worked and when Chris would come home from school/work
he would find a note his Mom left with instructions on how to get dinner ready.
His specialties were sausage with peppers, onions & potatoes and the best
baked chicken with crispy skin, delish. But Chris does make claim he invented
the melted cheese on English muffin, he still prepares with perfection.
With the help from my wonderful Mother-in-law I learned to
cook and developed the desire to try new things. Not the mundane foods that
never changed when growing up.
I began a love for cook books and magazines; I would delve
into them, marking pages in the cookbooks and tearing out the recipes in
magazines. Excited about the new adventure I would head to the grocery store
with my list, ready for anything.
Having three children made my cooking projects more
exciting. This meant birthday cakes, brownies, pies, kid friendly meals, pizza,
grilled cheese and of course cookies many cookies.
When my daughter Becky was in middle school I tried to get
her to help out in the kitchen, as I hoped she would like it as much as me. She
wasn’t interested unless it was something sweet that once put in to cook she
could lick the bowl. I didn’t know what kind of meals she would turn out once
she was married, but my fears were for naught as she has proven to be a fine innovative
cook. We have so much fun when we are together in the kitchen. The music get
turned on and our bodies respond with rhythm and kitchen utensils. Hoping you
will enjoy our recipes and antics.
Becky
I used to make cookies when I was living at home. I used to make brownies too, but only because I liked to lick the batter out of the bowl.....but that was about the extent of my cooking. My mom would try and teach me because, "I would need to know how when I got married." I would ignore her of course and go about my teenage business. Before I knew it I was married to a man who thoroughly enjoyed my mother's cooking and liked to eat....a lot. Which meant that I had to start cooking actual meals. Which meant mom would be getting a lot of phone calls when I didn't know how to cook something, to find out what I could use to substitute, or to learn the what a roux was. She would always be ready to answer with step by step instructions and I have always been grateful for my personal Martha Stewart..it's a good thing.
Cooking, for the most part, came naturally and I began to really enjoy it, always wanting to try new things to make (except for mushrooms and squash). Now that I have been cooking and baking for around 6 years consistently, I am very confident in the kitchen and not afraid to try new recipes.
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