July 11, 2003

• Circle of Words

  
  

  

  
  

  July 7, 2003

  
  

  Week 26

  
  

  Cooking Companions

  
  

  No one who cooks cooks alone. Even at at her most solitary, a cook in the kitchen is surrounded by generations of cooks past, the advice and menus of cooks present, the wisdom of cookbook writers.

  
  

  -Laurie Colwin

  
  

  1.  Who taught you how to cook? Where do you get recipes and ideas for meals?  What is the one thing that you cook the best?  Do you have an item that you always seem to make for pot lucks and/or parties?

  
  

  My mom was the main person who taught me how to cook.  I watched her cook and asked all kinds of questions growing up.  When I was young like about 2 or 3, I liked to lick the beaters or bowl when she was done.  I still like this (but it isn't a good plan for me )  I have an old photo somewhere that I wanted to scan and post of me licking the bowl when I was small.  Then as I grew older I would help with making small things and measuring the flour or other ingredients.  My mom stayed at home with us and so I learned a lot of things from her.  I wasn't in a day care or preschool until I was 4 and then only part time.  Therefore I saw my mom being domestic, and learned from her.  She doesn't think I learned from her, because I am not as good of housekeeper as she is , but I am trying to realize and wish she would also, that I am a different person and I will clean differently and I will cook differently too. 

  
  

  We also had a very large garden and part of my chores were to pick the veggetables and then care for them.  The beans were to be snapped and the peas were to be out of the pods etc.  Then I would help my mom can quarts of veggies.  Then we would sit around the supper table eating and waiting for the lids to pop meaning they had sealed.  It was sort of a game to see who could hear and we would count them as they popped

  
  

  Then when I was in middle school, I started attending the 4-H club and I was in the cooking classes every year.  I learned to make other things during that time that my mom didn't make.  I learned how to make simple recipes and cookies and pies from scratch. 

  
  

  Then in highschool and late middle school, I was in home-ec and learned about making other things such as cakes and meat dishes, yet nothing too fancy.

  
  

  When I was in college, I learned how to cook on a pop-corn popper and an iron with wax paper so it wouldn't get dirty.   I also lived with an Amish family for 2 months one year and learned how to cook everything from scratch.  That is how I learned how to make bread.  I love the bread that I make when I use their recipe and follow the directions that she gave me.  She also taught me how to make Amish church peanut butter which is the most delightful thing I have tasted.  They used to send it to me in care packages, but that has stopped now   but I really don't need to be eating that either.  The other thing I learned to do was to cook deer meat and to make homemade canned deer bologna, which is nothing like the bologna we buy in the store, it is more like summer sausage.  It is really good grilled over a gas stove in a cheese sandwich on the homemade bread

  
  

  Then in college I lived in Dominican Republic for 3 months and learned to cook like they do there.  I learned to make con con which is the crispy part of the rice along the sides of the pan that is really good and has it's own unique flavor.  I learned to make several different dishes there which has also influenced my cooking now.

  
  

  I know there is another part to my circle of words writing, but I am getting tired and I think I am going to finish this tomorrow.

  • 1:02 am
  • 2 Comments