my mother's daughter
My mom is incredibly talented. She's artistic and handy and hard working. She's an environmentalist, a nurse, a political activist. The one thing I did not inherit is her cooking skills; she is one outstanding cook. She can whip up incredible meals from nearly nothing. It's amazing.
I asked Brian last night if he was disappointed that I can't cook as well as my mom. He said, "I kind of thought you'd grow into it, but you just didn't." Hhmmpht. Now I'm not a bad cook, and I've always said if you can read, you can cook. But there is some basic meal-whip-together gene that missed me. Must skip a generation. Timing everything well is her other true talent in the kitchen. Everything finishes up flawlessly. She told me once that would come with experience. I've been cooking on my own for how many years? 15? Still hasn't happened.
But I'm trying. Plugging away. Baking bread. Fixing dinners. Making sweets. The organic veggies arrived yesterday (our last week- sniff.) and as she stood there with me in the kitchen looking at them spread on the counter, she made a meal suggestion.
I cooked the tiny little potatoes in a pan with red peppers, onions, and a couple pieces of bacon, added a splash of red wine vinegar, a dash of salt and pepper, and at the very last minute, some chard to wilt in. We ate it with buttered, toasted tortillas. It was pretty yummy. Definitely a step in the right direction.
Thanks, Mom.
Comments
Can your mom come to my house tonight at dinner time and give me some suggestions?
Posted by: autum | October 5, 2006 12:30 PM
How fortunate you are to have such a great role model. I can only hope to be the same for my daughters (I'm not even going there with my mother).
Your dinner looks super yummy!
Posted by: beki | October 5, 2006 12:32 PM
That looks so yummy and nutritious. Sigh. I used to cook when I had time. Now it's just easier to open the freezer and scrounge for something microwaveable.
Posted by: joanna | October 5, 2006 1:04 PM
Yum! I love those "throw it in the skillet and voila!" meals.
Posted by: laeroport | October 5, 2006 1:19 PM
Mmmm - I love chard - looks delish.
Posted by: Ali | October 5, 2006 2:08 PM
sounds yummy!
my mother has the same type of talent. i've inherited *some* of it, but my husband and children are terribly picky. i don't get to experiment much. sigh.
Posted by: lera | October 5, 2006 2:55 PM
There's garlic in there too, righ?!
Posted by: capello | October 5, 2006 2:55 PM
that dinner sounds so yummy. i always say bacon makes everything taste good! i think your mom should add "blogger" to her list. think what we all could learn from her.
Posted by: molly | October 5, 2006 5:03 PM
omg... i am salavating... and..... i am very impressed... it was taco salad for us tonight.... but my mom said it was great !!!
Posted by: diana | October 5, 2006 6:55 PM
Mmmm...looks yummy. Ive never cooked chard, but we do something sorta similar with pak choi. Would it taste the same maybe?
Posted by: Eren | October 5, 2006 10:47 PM
Sometimes we don't want to turn into our mothers but sometimes I think there is nothing we would rather be. I guess the trick is to find the balance. Looks yummy!
Posted by: Mama Urchin | October 6, 2006 8:49 AM