Ask Mom For Help in the Kitchen
I hope you enjoy Starting from Scratch, my second book, published each week online, one chapter at a time. Before the book’s final publication, I hope to sprinkle readers’ thoughts, opinions and advice throughout. After all, you each have helpful systems and solutions in the kitchen worth sharing. In addition, for each section, I’m food bloggers and culinary experts – for this excerpt, it’s Dani Spies, author of a wonderful blog in her name.
Did your mom – or dad – teach you how to cook when you were a child? If not, did you feel slighted in any way?
If your family enjoyed cooking, appreciated good food and valued meal-time, it’s likely you have continued that tradition in your present day life. If not, it’s never too late to create a new ritual that’s all your own.
Times Have Changed
Even if you did learn to cook as a youngster, buying and preparing food has evolved significantly in recent years. For example, we have the choice of buying organic or conventional products at the market. We now have fishmongers, bakeries, cheese shops and coffee retailers, among others, to buy fresh and tasty ingredients – all of which make cooking easier. There are a plethora of opportunities available for learning, including TV, magazines and books, friends and cooking classes. And there are enough kitchen utensils and appliances available to do half the cooking for us!
Sadly, there are more take-out and fast food options, and more processed foods from which to choose, too. But isn’t that what learning is all about?
Bad Habits
My mother cooked a fair bit when I was growing up, and she welcomed my assistance in the kitchen as a wee one. I liked to cook and looked forward to preparing my specialties – spaghetti and meatloaf. By high school, my repertoire had expanded to include cinnamon rolls and brownies (not sure if that says more about my sweet tooth or Southern heritage).
In fact, one of my favorite childhood memories was eating a tasty TV dinner on Friday nights, alongside David Cassidy and the rest of the Partridge Family. Until I moved to Boston, I had more than my fair share of fried chicken, high-fat casseroles and sweets. I don’t remember cooking anything with fresh spices, and we still laugh about the family recipe book with a “green salad” side-dish made with 1 cup of sugar, lime flavored Jello and cool whip. (No wonder I have a sweet tooth today).
Certainly, in an effort to lose my Freshman 25, I had to integrate a “real” green salad into my diet, along with other healthy eating – and cooking – habits. So though I did learn a lot from Mom as a child, I learned even more on my own, as society has changed, as cooking shows have proliferated, and as fresh/organic markets have spread like wildfire.
Phone Home
Still, though, if I have a question about substitute ingredients, how long I should cook a new dish or ideas on what to cook, I’ll call Mom for her opinion. (I realize I can look online, but a phone call is a good excuse to say hello).
Dani feels the same. “Although my Mom did not usually want me in the kitchen while she was cooking, she cooked A LOT. Food was definitely one way she expressed her love. Nowadays, I often find myself calling my Mom with some questions in the kitchen – and she always manages to teach me something new.”
Whether your mom lives on the same block, on the other side of town or perhaps the opposite side of the country, as it is in my case, Mom has lots of advice to offer the cooking novice, or even the cooking pro. Just ask, and I bet she will appreciates the call.
About Dani
Dani Spies, HHC, AADP is a L.A. based Health Counselor and an ACSM Certified Fitness Trainer. She is a graduate of The Institute of Integrative Nutrition in New York City and holds a B.A. in Psychology from William Paterson University.
Her blog, danispies.com, is all about making good food SUPER EASY so people can eat well and feel great! She created the site four years ago to reach others wanting to learn more about nutritious ingredients and simple cooking techniques. She uses both written recipes and short videos to demonstrate how easy this can be.
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