My Cooking Origins

I love my clients. I told my long-standing ones about my newest blog series for February and a couple of them came flocking over here to read about it.

One of them made a request. Well, I'll grant that one. I know why she wants me to share my story. She thinks my story is funny. I think it is boring. When I met her, she couldn't cook. It is weird to me for anyone old enough to move out of their parents home and not know how to prepare a meal. I've known several people who don't know to cook. She was my first client that couldn't cook. Well, choosing healthy recipes for her was hard back then. But now she cooks a lot. I've actually eaten a few of her meals I have provided recipes for her. They have been very tasty.

Okay, I was probably 6 years old being able to prepare my own breakfast & lunch. I'm not talking about make bowls of cereal. I could make my peanut butter toast by then. Also, my sister never would cut my sandwiches diagonally so, I took on that task. So, my attitude behind learning to cook was formed early. Growing up my grandmother cooked during the week and my mother & youngest aunt cooked on the weekends. One constant rule in our home has been, if You don't like what was prepared, You fix You something else. On New Year's Day, my family eats chitterlings (the small intestines of a pig, although the intestines of cattle and other animals are sometimes so named when used as a foodstuff). As long as I never acted as though I had an interest in them, I didn't. At age 11, I decided to eat chitterlings. They were gross. They tasted as they smelled. They had a rubbery texture and didn't chew. To finish them, I eventually I had to add black-eyed peas, greens, & cornbread in eat a bite. After that meal, I added that to the long list of foods I don't eat. At age 12 my aunt got married, leaving me the youngest person in the house. I also was the only person that didn't eat chitterlings in the house. I had a month and a half to learn to make me something that matched cornbread, greens & black-eyed peas. I decided on baked chicken parts. Being 12, my mom & grandparents thought that my venture was precocious and agreed with it. Well, three weeks before New Year's Day, I was home by myself with my brother. I had the bright idea to be proactive to fix dinner. I decided on some chili. Put the canned chili in the pot, seasoned it, and warmed it up. My family was so proud of me. Then we all sat down to eat dinner.

It was the saltiest stuff known to man. The only person who enjoyed it was my grandfather, who salted all his food. Lesson learned: Don't put salt in canned chili. Three weeks later, I baked chicken parts perfectly. And since then I have been responsible for my own New Year's Day meal.

Now I cook most of the meals in my home. Trust me, I still have had some failures.

Fact: I had to go to college to learn how to properly fry chicken.

Baked chicken has progressed into learning how to make stuff like these.

Beer Can Chicken

White Bean & Turkey Stew

Shrimp & Spinach Wrap

Malt-O-Meal Muffins

My nephew (here making a cake, I taught him to make) may not ever believe (or know) I oversalted the chili. First thing I taught him to do was squeeze lemons for a Lemon Meringue Pie at age 3 (wake me up at 6:30 am, I will put you to work).
This pie is actually his sister's pie, that I taught her to make a few years ago. She now also, makes very tasty meals.

And that was the start of my cooking journey. I've come a long way from over salted chili & baked chicken.

Don't know what those two dishes will lead to learning to cook next but, I'll be ready to make it

As Always, Talking to You in Adult Terms