I have mentioned before in a previous blog Eating – A Necessary Evil that I am not a fan of cooking because in short, I am not a fan of eating. Today I told my sister and a friend that were it not for my health conscious lifestyle and desire to save money I would likely live off of frozen or microwavable meals and take out. I do tend to cook 4, sometimes 5, nights a week. The fact that I have a husband to feed ensures I can’t just make a big pot of pasta and eat it all week long. I suppose this actually ranks me higher than most Americans when it comes to cooking homemade meals.
My disdain for cooking and my average skills in it results in me having a lot of ups and downs in the kitchen. The first time I made Pan Seared Pork Chops Topped with Brown Sugar Apples and Bacon (recipe here) I was more excited than when I completed my first 5k. Mind you I was in the kitchen for an hour and my husband, Jason, devoured the meal in less than half that time, but I was so proud of what came out looking like a restaurant quality meal. I now refer to the recipe as “fancy pork chops” because it is the closest to gourmet cooking I have ever come.
I feel accomplished when I’m able to try out a new recipe and have it be successful enough to make again. It gives me a boost of confidence that I can’t achieve from any other activity. I suppose it comes from doubting my abilities and instead having impressed myself with my success.
I have had many failures in the kitchen as well. This goes as far back to when I was a kid and made Kool-Aid for the first time. My poor father had the displeasure of discovering that I had forgotten to add the sugar. A few years ago I tried making a tortilla encrusted salmon that came out horribly wrong and caused me to cry. Jason didn’t understand why I was so upset and said we could just get pizza. To me though it was such a waste. Of time. Of food. Of my efforts.
Then there are nights like tonight when a recipe just doesn’t turn out as good as it sounds. I had planned to cook some penne and throw it in vodka sauce, but the back of the pasta box had a recipe for a creamy garlic cheese sauce. As luck would have it I actually had all the ingredients on hand so I thought why not? I followed the directions to the letter and every step was completed, but the sauce just did not impress me. It was such a letdown given how wonderful the description of it sounded. I’m sure a more advanced chef would know the best ways to tweak the recipe to enhance the sauce, but all my hours spent watching Food Network have not instilled in me those same skills. Next time I’ll stick to the vodka sauce.
I have chosen to take on the challenge of hosting Easter brunch this year for my parents, sister and her husband and my in-laws. This will be my first attempt at a holiday meal as well as cooking for that many people. Truth be told I’m doing it as brunch because I have much more confidence with cooking breakfast foods than I do anything else, and my mother has already generously offered to make a ham to bring. I wasn’t about to attempt that myself and homemade mashed potatoes are out of the question (a 5 year old could probably peel potatoes better than I can). My ability to time multiple courses to finish cooking around the same time is still a weakness. Eggs, pancakes and bacon are much more in line with what I can handle. After all you have to crawl before you can walk right? Wish me luck!
