Thursday, December 13, 2007

Cooking

I will start off by saying that I am not a natural cook. You know the people who throw a little of this and a little of that and get a magnificent decadent dinner. I have plenty of these individuals in my family, the hubby, my mom, and my sister.

I am a natural baker. Following directions and being precise are both inherent in me. (Probably why I was good in Chemistry.) And cooking is a challenge. Since 2007was the year of facing challenges, I resolved to cook more regularly. My goal was to cook two to three times a week with an occasional venturing out of my norm of a meat, a starch, and a vegetable.

The first three months, I was diligent, but a mix of delicious and debacles. A few immediate wins with myself and T were Meatloaf, Feta Chicken, and Salsa Chicken.

The debacles presented themselves in the Roast Pork in a Pan and mushy beef stew. Trust me, don’t put cauliflower in a stew until the very end.

During these adventures, I was cautious and followed the recipes to the tee. Luckily they were mostly successes. After a few months, I felt more courageous. T’s accolades helped me venture out, as well as, many of you.

Kimberly’s Mac and Cheese looked so good. I had to try. When I decided to make it, I sadly realized that I had forgotten the V*lveta and had to adapt. So, I got more adventurous and decided to try this recipe instead (also from Allr*cipes). (It came out so well, that I think I’ll be making it for T’s little cousins for Christmas Eve.)

This need to be creative, gave me more courage to be adventurous, a few weeks ago I tried Chicken Cordon Bleu. Now, this is a recipe that always intimidated me. Complete bravery is what inspired me. After all, I hadn’t had any serious debacles since January. Bravery was and is a new feeling to cooking. I took a deep breath and went to the grocery store. The deli clerk told me about how he uses rosemary ham and K*rry Gold Iris Swiss Cheese. I got further inspired and added a tsp. of rosemary and ground mustard to the bread crumbs. It was scrumptious, before I realized T had four pieces. (Thinking of making these bit sized and serving them for Christmas Eve too.)

Writing this post made me realized how apprehensive I was about cooking and how my resolutions this year really helped me gain some comfort in the kitchen. Next year, I will be taking some cooking classes. I found a class that goes on every couple of months. It is a new adventure that I’m personally looking forward to.

**I'm sorry that I don't have any photos of my own creations. My digital camera has been out of sorts - I've actually asked for a new one for Christmas. And my cellphone doesn't have one. (I can hear the gasp from here :).) Hopefully in the next few months I'll become more technology savey. Looking forward to getting a new cellphone too!

7 comments:

AwkwardMoments said...

YOU GO GIRL!! You conquer that Kitchen

Susan said...

Damn, you are making me HUNGRY!!

TeamWinks said...

Sounds amazing! I suddenly feel inspired to do something creative in the kitchen!

seussgirl said...

Mmm - those all sound really good! I am also more drawn to baking than cooking, but enjoy cooking when I have the time. I may have to try some of your recipes!

Lollipop Goldstein said...

Cooking is good :-) Have you thought about getting a professional cooking textbook and working your way through the lessons? I tried it one year, but paused on the sauces. I need to go back and try it again. You could start an online cooking program through your blog for all of us!

Pamela T. said...

Reading your post made me exceptionally hungry! Here's hoping you have a delicious and wonderful set of holiday celebrations. Best, PJ

zsmom said...

I always think that there is something so grounding about cooking -- the food, the tactile chopping, fueling our bodies...

I'd love to read a food blog!