Domesticated

Yesterday I started my lucrative career cooking dinner for this nice family. Anyone who knows me knows that this is a laughable matter. It’s not that I’m a bad cook (when I follow a recipe) it’s just that I haven’t done much cooking over the years. Something about trying to prove the old saying wrong – “A woman’s place is in the kitchen.” So now I'm being domesticated by trade. But I've decided that I could use a little taming. I'm realizing that some of my feminist persuasions have the potential of backfiring on me. I mean, I've just now found The Joy of Cooking (and I’m not just talking about the cookbook, either).

I have more man-friends giving me recipes I hardly know what to do with all of them. I just have to say this, I’m so proud of my man-friends who take on increased domestic responsibilities – Tim, Graham, Nick, Fredrik, John, Jeff (to name a few) and of course my main-man Matt. Some of these men are even full-time dads. You guys rock! You’re helping make the F-word unnecessary (both of them).

But I cannot talk about the joy of cooking without mentioning my good friend Katie. She has a passion for cooking unlike anyone I know. She has taught me how euphoric the process of making fine food can be. She tears each herb off its stem with precision and she knows just why she does this. If she hasn’t finish making the meal before the guests arrive she turns the party into a pre-dinner kitchen show - poured wine and snappy conversation. She doesn’t eat animal products (meat, dairy) and her dishes are always delicious. She not only makes Vegan look good… she makes it taste good, too. She's also giving me some recipes. (I feel so needy.)

And, there is no place like home when it comes to good food. My mom has always made the healthiest and best-tasting food. She has fed an unknown number of people in her life, seriously unable to be counted but I would estimate the number is in the 50,000's (a low estimate). Most of these people have walked through the doors of her home but many of them she has fed at their's - on the street. You can read more about that HERE if you haven't already. And HERE, too.

Here are a couple of dishes that I, Gracie, have fallen in love with cooking (and eating).

Asparagus Risotto

Chicken with Roasted Lemon Sauce