I love cooking. No, I really love cooking. It’s a passion. Michael told me last week that food is my religion. I must have looked confused because he went on to explain that I talk about food with the same fervor some religious fanatics talk about the messiah. I think I smiled and kept explaining to him that not only is the HFCS in soda unhealthy, so is the carbonation and most of the other ingredients and why don’t we just not buy the soda at all?
My husband turned 40 yesterday and I have all intentions of making him live forever.
That said, I don’t skimp on ingredients. If it calls for butter, I use butter. Heavy whipping cream is also a staple in my fridge. Sugar, bacon, mayo, you name it. I haven’t tackled lard yet, but I hear it’s actually healthier to cook with than, say, Crisco, which is very processed and doesn’t really digest well. My eggs in the morning? They include the yolk and lots of unsalted butter and fried whole wheat bread.Why no, no we aren’t all five hundred pounds. In fact, most of the people in the house are exactly the weight they should be, and those who aren’t, well… we’re [getting] old and putting on that middle-age pudge. I’m working on it.
I made the best potato salad ever yesterday. It’s a no-mayo variety, although it uses Dijon mustard and Feta, so it’s not exactly good either. (recipe) I also made Nigella Lawson’s Fairy Cakes. Each dozen cupcakes has a stick of butter and 7 Tablespoons of sugar, but they are oh so very good and as a five times a year treat (February, July, August, September & November), oh so very worth it.I’ve also started using a cream cheese icing instead of royal icing. I think the hint of lime in the icing really sets off the cupcakes.
So, food! I splurge on organics. I splurge on natural ingredients (you know, the kind I can pronounce and identify!). I splurge and splurge and splurge till I can’t splurge anymore, because I have reached the end of the food budget.
Where has this gotten me? I have a family who eats better at home than in a restaurant. I have children who appreciate the value of good, healthy food over fast food. That’s not to say they don’t like greasy fast food, but they understand why it’s a sometimes food and not an all the time food. I have a gastronomically adventurous family. Even Malachai, who is averse to many foods will usually at least try it once.
That’s not to say my weekly menu is always diverse. We have homemade mac & cheese at least once a week. Vegetarian chili usually graces my menu once every week or two. Pot pie is a staple. Sausage & peppers. A couple of weeks ago we had jambalaya a couple of times. Cube steak in gravy was a hit. I have the same 20 or 30 dishes that are tried & true, but I try and fit a new one in once a week, or a new twist on an old favourite. I use as many different colours as possible in my cooking. Every shade brings new nutrients to the table, and it keeps you wanting to come back! Who wants a plate of dull white and brown (like meat & potatoes) all the time?
So cook well, cook often and cook diversely. Your family, your stomach and your waistline will thank you.
