If you can read, you can cook. My mother, Betty
My mother always said this to me when I would whine and moan that I was sure I could never be a good cook because it looked so hard. She would look at me, shaking her knife as she would her finger, and say, "If you can read, you can cook." I tended not to belive her, but since I've grown up, I can read and could cook quite well. But contrary to that belief, as I figured out last night, cooking must be an inherent thing, and not everyone has the passion for observation and cooking.
I don't necessarily feel like I was born a cook. Although I have the ability to prepare great tasting dishes, I feel that because, during my childhood and teenage years, I sat at the kitchen counter memorizing every move my mother made and asking her permission to assist in the preparation our family dinner. So from an early age, I had a passion for cooking. I wanted to observe and then try my hand at it, and my mom was wonderful about indulging my wishes and sparking my creativity. And that's why I don't think I was as much a natural as I was a curious and passionate student.
Last night Adam made dinner for me for the first time...actually, I think it was the first meal he's ever made on his own. I'm thrilled to report that it was truly a masterpiece. He made the Barefoot Contessa's Mustard-Roasted Fish, Sauteed Haricots Verts (long French green beans), and Olive Oil Infused New Potatoes. It was a simple, but impressive menu.
He started by making the mustard sauce, and as he was stirring, he asked me to taste to ensure it was right. I promptly told him that it was the chef's job to taste, and his tastebuds would know if it was seasoned correctly or needed something extra to make it just right. I reminded him that recipes are just a base; you can change them any way you see fit.
I helped do the side dishes simply because timing is always a obstacle for first time cooks. I gave him a gameplan to follow, as well as some welcomed, and some not so welcomed, hints and tips to speed up the process and to deter messes. With only one or two eye rolls and maybe one cross word, he took most of my advice and turned out a terrific dinner for us to enjoy while watching the BCS National Championship game.
I must admit, only good things came from this experiment...the food was delicious, he agrees that I need a bigger kitchen, and he enjoyed it so much that he wants to do it again! He said he now understands why I'm so tired after making dinner, no matter the size or difficulty, and from now on he's going to do his best to not complain about doing the dishes. One small step for man and one giant leap for cooks everywhere.
Steamed Green Beans
A couple of handfuls of loose French green beans
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tsp. olive oil
juice from half a lemon
salt and pepper
Trim the stem end of the beans. Fill a pot with with enough water for the beans have room enough to move, and bring to a boil. Drop in the beans, and blanche for about 2to 3 mintues. Remove from pot and put directly into a bowl of ice water to stop their cooking. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Dry off beans (otherwise they will pop and hiss when they touch the oil), and put them in the pan with the garlic. Season them with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Sear them for about 5 to 7 minutes. Plate them up and enjoy.
I didn't include the recipe for the fish because the Barefoot Contessa's Back to Basics cookbook is a must-have in any cookbook collection. Actually, I feel all of her cookbooks are a must, and I suggest going out and buying your own copies today.
My mother always said this to me when I would whine and moan that I was sure I could never be a good cook because it looked so hard. She would look at me, shaking her knife as she would her finger, and say, "If you can read, you can cook." I tended not to belive her, but since I've grown up, I can read and could cook quite well. But contrary to that belief, as I figured out last night, cooking must be an inherent thing, and not everyone has the passion for observation and cooking.
I don't necessarily feel like I was born a cook. Although I have the ability to prepare great tasting dishes, I feel that because, during my childhood and teenage years, I sat at the kitchen counter memorizing every move my mother made and asking her permission to assist in the preparation our family dinner. So from an early age, I had a passion for cooking. I wanted to observe and then try my hand at it, and my mom was wonderful about indulging my wishes and sparking my creativity. And that's why I don't think I was as much a natural as I was a curious and passionate student.
Last night Adam made dinner for me for the first time...actually, I think it was the first meal he's ever made on his own. I'm thrilled to report that it was truly a masterpiece. He made the Barefoot Contessa's Mustard-Roasted Fish, Sauteed Haricots Verts (long French green beans), and Olive Oil Infused New Potatoes. It was a simple, but impressive menu.
He started by making the mustard sauce, and as he was stirring, he asked me to taste to ensure it was right. I promptly told him that it was the chef's job to taste, and his tastebuds would know if it was seasoned correctly or needed something extra to make it just right. I reminded him that recipes are just a base; you can change them any way you see fit.
I helped do the side dishes simply because timing is always a obstacle for first time cooks. I gave him a gameplan to follow, as well as some welcomed, and some not so welcomed, hints and tips to speed up the process and to deter messes. With only one or two eye rolls and maybe one cross word, he took most of my advice and turned out a terrific dinner for us to enjoy while watching the BCS National Championship game.
I must admit, only good things came from this experiment...the food was delicious, he agrees that I need a bigger kitchen, and he enjoyed it so much that he wants to do it again! He said he now understands why I'm so tired after making dinner, no matter the size or difficulty, and from now on he's going to do his best to not complain about doing the dishes. One small step for man and one giant leap for cooks everywhere.
Steamed Green Beans
A couple of handfuls of loose French green beans
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tsp. olive oil
juice from half a lemon
salt and pepper
Trim the stem end of the beans. Fill a pot with with enough water for the beans have room enough to move, and bring to a boil. Drop in the beans, and blanche for about 2to 3 mintues. Remove from pot and put directly into a bowl of ice water to stop their cooking. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Dry off beans (otherwise they will pop and hiss when they touch the oil), and put them in the pan with the garlic. Season them with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Sear them for about 5 to 7 minutes. Plate them up and enjoy.
I didn't include the recipe for the fish because the Barefoot Contessa's Back to Basics cookbook is a must-have in any cookbook collection. Actually, I feel all of her cookbooks are a must, and I suggest going out and buying your own copies today.
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