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Monday, March 2, 2009

A Disinterested Cook

Confession: I'm a disinterested cook. I like all sorts of domestic felicities - sewing, decorating, baking, even cleaning I don't mind. I am not excited about cooking.


My big caveat with cooking is that you put lots of effort into something that will very soon be digested. If you spend a few hours on a bag, you can carry it around for years. You make pillows, curtains, clothing, you can see your accomplishment in front of you.


With cooking, you turn in circles and do 17 backflips in order to make sure this is defrosted, that is measured, that is timed. You used the 3/4 measuring cup for that and now need it for this so you have to wash it in the middle of everything else. You just touched raw eggs now you touched this so you backtrack over your steps with disinfectant cloths. Where is that wisk? Whoops! You are out of bread crumbs! What was that timer set for? What is half of 3/8? What is double 1 and 2/3? You forgot that the vegetable should have been cooking by now.... the chicken has been done for 10 minutes, the rice will be done in 7 and the vegetables in 10. Then you sit down to enjoy your hard work and what took 40 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to clean took 10 minutes to eat.




Sigh.




I am also selective about food, so my options are not that diverse. We don't really like seafood or cheese - two recipe ruiners.



I do like slow cooker meals so that everything is ready.

I've started to watch cooking shows, but their recipes are too exotic for me. I'm a meat and potatoes kind of girl. With lots of garlic. :D

Save me from my cooking rut!

10 comments:

  1. No cheese! I'm so sorry. :) Seriously, cooking is probably one of the few things I enjoy doing that doesn't have lasting results. Probably because I like to eat. I imagine you've already read the "year of crockpotting" blog. I don't remember her using cheese much.

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  2. I realllly don't like cooking either. It's just so. much. work. And I'm not very good at it either. Fortunately, we love cheese around here, so even when something doesn't turn out spectacular, a little cheesy--or sour creamy--addition can spruce it up very quickly. Except for the cheese, thing, you could have taken this post out of my thoughts!

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  3. Whoa, sorry about that weird punctuation there ("cheese, thing,"). I was trying to not overuse commas, and there I go, throwing one in where it had absolutely no business being! Proof read, Serena! Not proof skim!

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  4. I think you mean you're an "uninterested" cook.

    You would be a "disinterested" cook if, for example, you never ate what you cooked...

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  5. ohmygosh, I can so relate! I love all things creative and can even find some satisfaction in cleaning but I HATE to cook! I married an ex-chef who loves to cook which you would think would be a good thing ... but nooo, he wants me to be like his mother and cook every night. So not only am I a bad cook but can't even fake it because he can always critique!

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  6. I didn't like to cook, until I figured out the I could modify recipes to my taste. I also discovered that cooking, like any creative endeavor, takes planning. I keep basics on hand and make a weekly menu. Since then, I've been enjoying it immensely. Sure, I've had quite a few things we didn't like, but also alot that we did. We're a meat and potatoes family too. Check out my recipe blog if you're interested. www.peacefulcottagerecipes.blogspot.com Hope you can find something great to add to your repetoire.

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  7. Summers coming grill baby grill.

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  8. You sound EXACTLY like me. Except for the cheese and seafood. But I'm really rather picky and it all seemed too much trouble. Worse, recipes are always full of things I won't eat.

    I started browsing allrecipes.com and saving things that sounded good. Once I started cooking, I found that I didn't mind it because I could control completely what I put in my body and I can use fresh and healthy ingredients. Also, it's a money saver.

    Cookbooks weren't the answer for me because the recipes had too many weird ingredients. I found the Internet and some cooking blogs to be much better for me.

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  9. I totally understand where you're coming from! One thing that has always helped me with enjoying cooking, is using the best ingredients I can, enjoying the creativity of the thing. Have lots of spices? They're so much fun!

    My Mom is so, so good at it. One thing that she always does, is make a list of everything to be done for dinner. She figures what time she wants dinner, how long each thing will take, and when it needs to be ready. Then she knows where she stands. It's actually a lot simpler than it sounds. Here's an example.

    Saturday Dinner.... 6:00 p.m.

    Chicken Pot Pie ....
    The other half of boiled chicken, pieces already cut up.
    Carrots on at 5:00
    Start cream sauce
    Make biscuit topping

    Chicken Pot Pie in by 5:40

    Boiled Potatoes on at 5:30
    Fruit Salad
    Set Table
    Make Tea

    It is different for us because Mom can assign jobs, but the list is a huge help.

    One more thing. What makes all that planning and time spent worth it? Truth be told, the time spent around the table is one of the most important parts of family life, and good food, toiled over, blesses those who eat it, ever so much. For a housewife, her meals are what her husband sees at the end of the day. They are the evidence of her housewifey accomplishments. And good food can bless so much! You'd be surprised!

    I'd better stop talking now. :) You must forgive my lengthy comment. :D

    Many blessings,

    Emma

    Oh! One more thing! Whenever you go to all that trouble to cook a nice a meal, go ahead and make a lot. You can freeze some, refrigerate some, and make your next meal much easier.

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