We all have funny stories about first dates or how we got to know our spouses. Shortly after I met my hubby my college went on Fall Break. He managed to wrangle my parents phone number from one of my classmates at a football game.
As a side note we still have the frisbee that was being thrown around the stadium and was turned into note pad for said phone number.
When Paul called I was surprised he was interested in me because I have to admit my attempts at dating in high school and college had not ended well. Let’s just say I had a lot of first dates and then crickets. Sigh.
The conversation was lively and fun and then I guess out of frustration he asked if I was going to invite him over so I did! For Sunday dinner no less! I may or may not have cleared this with my Mom but he said Yes and we got the ball rolling. Or rather my mother did. She was a talented cook and could whip up the most delicious meals in no time. I did not appreciate this talent until I got married and well, discovered, I had not inherited this skill.
We had a marvelous time and Paul ate like a King. He loved the food so much he went back to college and talked more about my mother’s cooking than he did me!
Fast forward to our early married years where he and I both discovered that cooking was not my forte.
Fortunately he is a patient man and 4 plus decades later I have unearthed my Suzi Homemaker/cooking gene.
No one is more surprised than I am as I embrace my inner Julia Child Maybe it’s because I read several books about her, or maybe because I visited her exhibit at a local museum. I even made her Beef Bourguignon recipe..it was sooo good!
In Julia’s Kitchen!
While Julia’s recipes are the bomb it is really my mothers handwritten recipes that call to me and I’m actually having fun and some luck recreating these dishes that hold so many memories.
Reading her handwriting and her little side notes such as “batter will be thin” or ” I prefer to use butter here instead of margarine” makes it feel like she is in the kitchen with me whispering her little tidbits of advice.
One thing my mother never made that I accidentally found I am good at is sourdough bread. Somehow I missed the craze during the pandemic thankfully as I did not need to eat anything more than I actually did during lockdown. No one was more surprised than I was that I could actually turn out yummy loaves. It is a process though and the chances of making “anchors” instead of edible loaves is high. Fortunately I have had only one batch of anchors or anvil loaves which the birds enjoyed immensely once we hammered them into bit sized pieces.
Perhaps its the creative side of me that finds the mixing, blending, and the rhythmic act of chopping soothing and satisfying.
I often find it is not the results that are fulfilling but the mere act of creating that brings me joy.
Many years ago we returned to Hawaii to celebrate an anniversary. We had been stationed with the Navy on Oahu for three years but never made it to Maui. We drove the road to Hana. It was amazing, and gorgeous with jungle like scenery along the twisting roads. We stopped along the way to see waterfalls, flowers and even found Charles Lindbergh’s grave. Paul was a pilot so this was meaningful. Hana was a town like many others with nothing really outstanding. This was all about the drive there and not about the final destination.
It is the same with cooking, baking, chopping, sautéing, and seasoning. Just the creating brings serenity. The final product ( if it turns out) is the cherry on top.
The recipes, the homemade aprons I saved from my parents house, the smell of cookies, bread and casseroles in the oven fill the house with a peace that is much needed in this “wintering” season of my life.
May you too find your inner “Suzi Homemaker” and enjoy the process!
Happy Wintering! And as always, keep triing!
Jennifer