Not the teacher, but the learner
I’ve been cooking since I was a little girl, stood on the kitchen stool to reach the countertop with my 1950s mother baking pies and pasties, cakes and cookies all day long. I’ve been baking and cooking for many years now and among some of my favorite dishes are: chocolate shortbread, all kinds of sweet bread, coconut macaroons, breakfast muffins, chiken tikka-masala, fajitas (chicken or shrimp), eggplant parmesan, jambalaya, 13 bean chili, chicken salad, tuna salad, etc. Ok basically all kinds of good foods are my favorite to prepare! What can I say I actually like cooking – I just wish I had more time to enjoy it, but that’s ok I cook when I can.
So last week I received my first copy of Joy of Cooking!!! I am so Happy with it – I love it – I want to make everything in it! I want to make French bread SO much – I’m just afraid to – I’m afraid the effort will not be enough – that years of rolling dough and floured towels is what it really takes to make authentic French bread, and my first attempt is going to fail. It puts me off – and I know I should just do it anyway and keep making it until it is right. So that is one of my cooking challenges I am undertaking this year – to make the perfect French loaf.
I’m also badgering my mother into making a Buche de Noel with me. She keeps blowing me off though and I want to make it with her rather than on my own. She did agree that the meringue mushrooms were adorable and easy enough – she’s just reluctant about the Buche part – the actual cake! One day perhaps . . .
Another goal of mine is to make the perfect Jambalaya – real authentic Jambalaya is tough with the baking of the uncooked rice into the dish – I keep getting either a little burning or too fluffy rice . . .
I’ll be learning about cooking until the day I can no longer stand and face the stove. Praise be to Joy!
echo in the memory 
As a FACS teacher and a wife of someone who loves to cook I really enjoyed this post. Fear of failure is what keeps most of my students out of the kitchen. I try and remind them that the worst thing that could happen is you have to throw it away. Happy cooking!
Thanks Heidi! 🙂 You’re right and I should just do it!
I received an original copy of a Julia child’s cookbook as a gift after watching Julia and Julia. I have it proudly displayed in my kitchen; always on a cookbook holder. I LOVE it!! And though I’ve never made anything from it yet, I do enjoy cooking and hope someday I will venture out and try something new.
Wow! That is so cool Gina! I loved that movie 🙂 You should make something from Julia Child’s cookbook during this writing challenge and let us know how you got on!
I’m going to try the Jambalaya. I had it when we went to New Orleans and I loved it…different than the box variety. Ha! I’ve been into homemade soups this winter. I’m finding the writing and reading process is like everything in life…you’re always on the learning curve. Go for that French Bread!
I’m gonna make some French Bread soon Deb thanks for the encouragement! You’re so right – life is learning 🙂 I wanna hear how your Jambalaya turns out!
When you do make that perfect french bread, post a picture and we’ll all be able to take a whiff through the computer!
hehehe! I will! I’m thinking of making the bread next week sometime.
Now the Joy of Cooking and the NY Times Book of Cooking came to me when I started taking cooking seriously. THe combination was amazing.
I don’t use them now but I do consider myself a comfortable cook when I have guests coming. 🙂
Great post for me,
Thanks
Bonnie
You’re welcome Bonnie 🙂 I bet your meals are delicious! I like your suggestion of using cookbooks that work well for you.
You sound like you love cooking just as much as I do. There is something soothing about the focus required to bake and the freedom of cooking.
Most definitely Dr. Scanlon! I get so excited when I cook I can hardly wait to see the finished product!
I love to cook too!
❤
You sound so excited to begin….good luck! And let us know what you make first….with pictures, of course.
I will post pictures!
I am not a cook whatsoever, but I love your pure “joy” and enthusiasm to try it all. I wish you well on your tasty endeavors!
Welcome to slicing!
Michelle
WOW I wish I loved cooking as much as you do. I LOVE to eat…and I love to eat healty foods; thus, I cook…not creatively like you….but I would love to visit for dinner. The good news is that after 40 years, my husband makes a MEAN broccoli rabe and great kale!
I’m sure you cook creatively! There are some great recipes online for free with great, healthy ingredients – I love to bake with flax seed meal a lot! I’m not a fan of kale – it’s too bitter for me – or perhaps I didn’t make it right?!
Fear of failing, and wasting all of the ingredients, and the money, is totally a game-stopper for me, and I LOVE to cook, too! I wish I had a ginormous amount of counter space, and all of the best appliances, too. But, until that is realistic, I will settle for my tiny little kitchen, and a limited amount of opportunities I am willing to tackle! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Yeah Jen wasting of the ingredients and money if a recipe doesn’t turn out right can be a big obstacle. Cooking is great fun though and some of those end results are worth all the effort 🙂