Yiwu Timei've been doing more cooking lately. being unemployed, i've had more time, and more desire, i think, and it's a good creative outlet. and sometimes only sometimes cooking from scratch is cheaper, so it's a good money-saver as well. i think i'm actually becoming a pretty good cook. i'll never be cooking my way through Julia Child's gastronomic tome, but i'm fascinated, in a rather out-of-body objective observation, the way my skills are developing. not ever something i thought i'd be, but there it is.
for instance--last night i cooked for my in-laws. while not quite foodies, they definitely have evolved sophisticated taste. and eveline--well, she's french, of royal lineage, and some of the finest meals i've ever had have been served at her table. said table, to add to the effect, often graced with the salt cellar of napoleon bonaparte's table...
anyway, the point is, not only did i cook--i cooked recipes i'd never cooked before. and i wasn't that worried about it! not that it was an uber-difficult meal or anything. and i'd had it all once before, so i knew that it was good--if i could get it right! if you cook, you know how it is--it's always a bit of a crap-shoot when you try a new recipe. often it needs tweaking, adapting, adjusting. but this time i did it without any glitches! mostly! well. the mustard-herb crusted beef tenderloin was a little rare, my oven seems to run a little cool but dear eveline stepped in and helped me by slicing and quickly sauteeing the meat in olive oil for a few seconds on each side--made all the difference. the butternut squash with sage & orzo came out wonderfully, and the spinach salad with mushroom, red onion, and toasted almond is always yummy. I was so excited to have everyone dig in and love it--even my nephew who confessed that he wasn't big on eating beef, but went back for seconds anyway. culinary victory!
and now--now i'm a little obsessed with what i can do with the leftovers. so tomorrow, i believe it's going to be pureed squash & orzo soup--with parmesan, and maybe some sour cream, or yogurt added in? and a wilted spinach salad with tenderloin strips. i'd never have thought of that a year ago--would have either just eaten the leftovers for lunch, or left them in the fridge until they *had* to go, if you know what i mean. but now--now those leftovers are fodder for creating something new and fun. some of you are probably very good at this, but it's new to me. i'm not exactly a domestic goddess, you know...
my father-in-law was so excited about the dinner that he took pictures. i'll post them as soon as i get them from him, and then also pics of the soup/salad phase II. until then:
i can't resist--
bon appétit!
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