RHYS BOWEN: The other day something went wrong with the dishwasher. I was sure we had a manual in a kitchen drawer. I went through the two drawers that are full of papers and couldn’t believe what I found there. So much stuff: manuals for a sandwich maker we had when the kids were small. For about three coffee makers. For things I didn’t even recognize.: a ceramic onion cooker? And files of recipes, torn from magazines. How often had I ever used any of them?
At least I had sorted them into categories: appetizers, main courses, desserts. I glanced at some of them: half a page of ingredients and then a twelve-step process. When did I ever think that I’d make something like that? So now the decision is: do I just toss them all? I can find any recipe I’d want on the internet these days. And frankly I’m into food that can be prepared in five minutes. If I want a fancy dessert I go to Whole Foods.
Among the recipes was a calendar from 1969. Goodness. We entertained an awful lot in those days. Elizabeth and Jerry to dinner. The Brockmans, Vizkeletys and Heslops to lunch. Business lunch for travel agents. And this when I had a baby and a two year old. And the recipes: salmon mousse. Malaysian satay. I’m not sure how I managed it.
In one recent interview the interviewer said, "You have so much wonderful food in your books. You must enjoy cooking."
Me: I enjoy eating good food. I'd like it better if I had a personal chef or Mrs. Patmore to cook it for me!
I also enjoy reading about food. One of my favorite passages is the picnic in Wind in the Willows. I drool every time I read it. And I like writing about food, enjoying it in my mind's eye.
I confess I’ve lost interest in cooking. I enjoy eating out but at home the simpler the better, unless John makes a curry. This makes me open the cabinet above the stove where I have a big shelf of cook books. Do I really need to keep these? I haven’t touched most of them in years either. Mrs. Beaton was my standard when I first married. I’ve a couple of other classics. Good Housekeeping. Julia Child. But lots of fun ones with lovely pictures. I do like looking at them. Perhaps I’ll see if my new granddaughter-in-law would like any of them!
So how about you? Do you still enjoy cooking? Do you keep recipes? Use cook books?
What was the last time you actually used a cook book?
I've always loved to cook and I still enjoy cooking. I do keep recipes and use cookbooks . . . .
ReplyDeleteThe last time I actually used a cook book? This past Thursday . . . .
Last time with a cook book? Yesterday. I cook in two locations. My home and at the Meditation Center. The Center requires techniques that meet vegan standards, and Zen meditation practices. I had to check the outline for the food table for a breakfast meal.
ReplyDeleteAt home I am debating selling my cookbooks. i do know they have very little value. However the Time Life Series was an eye opener for my children as they read cooking from a very white male bias. (Craig Claybourne, ed. Foods of the World) These days I use AI, my preference is Googles' Gemini. I list my ingredients, and the culture of choice and ask for recipe ideas. I can even ask for ones that take under 30 mins to fix. Much less frustrating now, no wiping gravy off the pages of Joy of Cooking, or setting Fanny Farmer on fire -- which actually happened to me.
I enjoy cooking when it's not every day. But my husband does a lot of cooking, too, so it evens out. When it's my turn I try to pick some favorite. Even though I have cookbooks, I tend to use a binder I created of favorites, and since the kitchen walls are ceramic tile, I usually tape the recipe I'm cooking next to the stove. It's so much more convenient, and our counter space is limited.
ReplyDeleteBTW: I just ordered Mrs. Endicott's Splendid Adventure and The Paris Assignment. They are supposed to arrive Thursday. Can't wait!
Sorry for all the "spelling" underlines. For some reason, my computer suddenly decided it wants to speak Spanish. (Probably because I ordered from Amazon.es to avoid Customs. I'll have to find a way to undo that. Sigh.)
Ah, I see the spelling correction only shows up for me, so never mind the last comment. Elizabeth
ReplyDeleteRhys, the meals in your books are mouth-watering. I was so happy when you found a French chef for Georgie's household. Don't let anything happen to him!
ReplyDeleteI love the cooking and dining scenes in your books, in Debs' books and in Lucy's. I have made some of Lucy's recipes and some of Jenn's cupcakes, too. I do still cook and bake, and I use recipes from my cookbooks and from folders where I have sorted cooking and baking recipes into categories. I made a soup from the Moosewood Cookbook on Thursday.
I love that you found the calendar from 1969 in a kitchen drawer. Wow. Different time in your life!