Adventures in Cooking

I’m going through pictures on my phone and apparently I like taking pictures of the food I’ve cooked? Maybe I’m just happy that a meal turned out edible and…pretty? Perhaps I’m amazed that I didn’t ruin something that wasn’t made in the oven. I’ve always said that I can bake but I can’t cook. They’re totally different to me.

Tell me to cook bacon in a pan on the stove and I have to ask my husband, “Is it done yet?”

It’s not that I’m a stranger to the kitchen. Not only did I take Home Ec for a few years, I have also helped my mom make a few of my friends’ wedding cakes. I’ve baked plenty of meals, too. In fact, baking is my preferred modus operandi. But you tell me to cook bacon in a pan on the stove and I have to ask my husband, “Is it done yet?”. I practically cut chicken to pieces to make sure it’s cooked properly. My husband wonders why I don’t like thawing with the microwave, preferring to let whatever it is sit in the fridge or the sink, and it’s because I don’t trust the process. The edges always seem to cook in the microwave and then are overcooked once I finally start the actual cooking process, and then of course I’m concerned that the middle won’t get cooked…and there I go again. Recipes help, I generally try to follow the recipe to a T unless I’m comfortable with the dish I’m making. My husband, on the other hand, can throw something together and it somehow works. I want to cook for him, but I far prefer it when he does it. Though I was the one to teach him how to make spaghetti.

Growing up, I was surrounded by cooking

I remember my mother cooking huge meals, especially on Sundays, even when it was just the three of us. Dinners at my Grammie’s was common and always a family event. She had the nickname of Casserole Queen. Growing up, I was surrounded by cooking and yet here I am, a married adult who is just now putting a toe in the cooking waters. I’ve asked my mom, and myself, why I wasn’t beside her learning as she cooked. Neither of us know the answer. One thing is for sure, knowing how to cook isn’t Osmosis. I wish now that I had payed more attention.

Last week I attempted to make a soup. It turned out well, in my opinion. My family didn’t think so. I think Ade and Isbe ate some of it, but not the whole child size bowl they each received. My husband didn’t even try it, though I kind of expected that. I ended up eating the rest of the soup by myself. I loosely followed Rhee Drummond’s Hamburger Soup recipe, simply replacing what I didn’t have with what I did have. I’m sure her’s turns out better.

Recipe

1lb Ground Beef
1/2 Yellow Bell Pepper, seeded & diced
4 Carrots, chopped
1 Zucchini, chopped
3c Chicken Broth
1/2t Oregano
1/2t Pepper
4-6 Cherry Tomatoes, halved

I browned the beef in a separate skillet, cooking it the last few minutes with a few pieces of Yellow Bell Pepper
I then added all the ingredients into one large pot and brought it to a boil before setting it to simmer for about 20 minutes