Inspiration

Every once in a while, I read a book on cooking, usually salvaged from a pile that Mother brings home from the library. As I flip through the pages, looking at gleaming dishes and strange ingredients lists, the stark fact that I can't cook like those chefs makes me sad. That kind of a book usually gives me an inspiration to make every meal a masterpiece, something that is quite out of my reach. The same goes for books on gardening, decorating, painting, entertaining and sewing, as well as a lot of cds - it is too hard to reproduce the ideas of those masters. Although, sometimes I can play a piece and make an imitation of a great song. There are some musical geniuses that play so well and different and odd and beautiful that I think, okay, just enjoy and admire, because you can't reproduce that sound.

Back to cooking. Now, understand that I can cook. Some of the things that I fix taste very good. I can bake quite tasty biscuits. A much older friend said that when he first courted his then future wife, he made sure to find out if she made great biscuits. After tasting them, he knew that she would be a good wife, and they've been married over fifty years. Isn't that lovely? So I learned how to make biscuits, for that reason. The cooks that I like are Rocco, Jamie Oliver, Sue Gregg, and now, Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa. Her book is the first that I've found to have ingredients that are available anywhere and recipes that look easy, and that I would want to make. Usually I scan everything and end up in the cake section, because I like baking.

My favorite food is bread. I like all kinds of bread, but especially french bread with butter and garlic salt. The best meal, for me, is a baked potato with chili, cheese and sour cream. I used to say steak, but those vary in taste so much. I like cheese, (peeled) grapes, carrots with ranch, and chocolate mint cookies. I like juice in those tiny cardboard kiddie boxes too.

Now, I should say that food isn't everything. Our total focus shouldn't be food. However, food is naturally a big part of everyone's life, and for someone that makes the meals, it can be very boring without a little inspiration. Since I've stopped watching tv, I've been cooking more. And maybe some of the Contessa's recipes will appear in our kitchen soon.