Saturday, June 7, 2008

Some Random Thoughts on Food

I love food. I love eating it. I love cooking it. I usually love watching shows about it (except Sandra Lee--that "semi-homemade" stuff is crap, and Paula Deen? I think she is trying to kill us all). I love cooking meals that require multiple steps (and as Adam will certainly point out--multiple dishes!). It's my therapy. I need to chop and simmer and saute and mix. And Adam loves my cooking. I love that he loves my cooking. It makes me happy.

I don't like making simple things. I enjoy the challenge of cooking. But these challenging dishes are rarely healthy. They involve butter and heavy cream and cheese--all things that I love. I'm not sure if there is anything that can be done about this. How to eat healthy and still pretend that I am a gourmet chef?

I fantasize about food. Is that weird? I actually fantasize about enameled cast iron. I dream of the day that I will own a Dutch oven and imagine all the beautiful pot roasts I will create. Having quality cooking equipment makes the cooking experience so so so much more enjoyable. I've been cooking for 2 years now with my crappy aluminum stock pot. I just haven't gotten around to upgrading most of my kitchen stuff, knowing that I have to move again in a year (and wanting to have *something* to put on the wedding registry!). But oh the day I get to cook with all the equipment appropriate for the task...

Last week Adam invited his co-wokers over for Taco Tuesday. I made fish tacos, rice and refried beans. Also... my famous margaritas. I was post-call, and only got a few hours of sleep, but I had such a great time. I love cooking for groups. I am still quite proud of my Christmas Day dinner for 12. I can't wait for the day when I have a fully stocked kitchen, with every dish and appliance that I can imagine. I don't need electronics, or computers, or fancy cars, or expensive shoes. I need a well stocked kitchen. Because that makes me happier than anything.

2 comments:

Noel Hastings said...

It almost sounds as if you are having a life! Nice! So, do you think I should look into the EM program there???

Kathleen said...

I'm just getting started on it, but if I like them, I might recommend the Canyon Ranch cookbooks to you. Gourmet and healthy, as long as you don't eat 10 servings! :)

Now...to just find the motivation to cook something that doesn't come from Cooks Illustrated...