I am here without irony, sarcasm, complaint, observation, or query. (Enjoy it, because it probably won’t happen again.) The only thing to say is that I am a happy cook these days. With Tony taking an intensive Greek course this summer, the responsibility has fallen on me to cook dinner just about every night. He helps when he can, but I am the main cook in the kitchen these days. And it’s a nice change, particularly coupled with the advent of our CSA.
As many of you are certainly well aware, cooking a few times a week (with a buddy) is one thing, but cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner everyday is a whole different kettle of fish. The relentlessness of it can be a little overwhelming—how can it be time to eat again? Didn’t I just make something?! But with a wealth of produce in our fridge and a few staples in the cabinets, it’s not bad at all. It’s not so much the big, looming question of “WHAT is for dinner?” but more a challenge to transform what I have into a meal.
Here’s just a sampling of the things I’ve this week:
Curried egg salad with shallots, raisins, celery, and cilantro on thick, toasty slices of homemade bread and big, crisp leaves of lettuce. Gingery bok choy, chicken, and soba noodle soup with cilantro, bean sprouts, and fresh lime. Spicy escarole, local Italian sausage, and white bean pasta. Sharp cheddar grits with local bacon, fried eggs, and scallions. And, of course, the ever-present salad! salad! salad! Salad with beans, salad with red and white radishes, salad with boiled eggs.
Sure, there is a sense of urgency that comes with having that much fresh produce in your fridge. But, I am starting a compost pile (as soon as I can figure out where to put it) to help alleviate that stress a bit. Right now, it’s all good, as long as I—in the now-immortal words of Dory from Finding Nemo—just keep cooking, just keep cooking!
Oh, would that the one I cook for would even consider eating the food you describe. But his egg salad is egg and mayo. Period. And the lettuce MUST be iceburg or it won’t be eaten. If any spice or seasoning beyond salt and pepper are used, food is left on the plate. But listening to you 3 makes me believe I’m eating it, too.
ahhh..welcome to my life as a mother! Cooking used to be a lot more fun for me..or less stressful anyway!My kids are great eaters and definitely much more adventurous than your average child, but it still gets old trying to figure out new and exciting stuff day in and day out, that will four year old approved! Then add in soccer, swimming, walking the dog, etc..Not sure how I find the time to ever cook anything fresh at all! That would be a wonderful blog one day 🙂 Kid approved recipes! I’m confident you ladies would have some wonderful ideas up your sleeves!
I’m still excited to try making my own bread!! Now that, the kids would love!
These days I mostly love the challenge of opening the fridge and seeing what I can pull together, but there was a time when I’d open the fridge and just stare.
So cooking every meal nearly every day can be drudgery, but it’s the practice that makes you good.
It’s a little like exercise. You may not always feel like cooking, but when you give in and do it, you rarely regret it.
P.S. Karen,
What’s stopping you from making a big batch of egg salad with mayonnaise and pulling off a portion for “the one you cook for: )” and then adding all the yummy stuff–curry, raisins cilantro, celery, scallions–to your portion? I’m here to tell you it’s worth it. And you never know. A month or even a year from now, maybe that person you cook for might quietly walk over to your bowl and sneak a bite. Hah!
It’s been quite some week with those great recipes! But I know what you mean about being responsible for 3 meals a day – can be intimidating to say the least. The Professor cooks as well and is great about trying new things so I count myself lucky.
But we’ll be going thru a transition come fall when he returns to teaching and I’m left running our business, keeping up the house, trying to maintain my blog AND cook – thankfully we don’t have children . . . but I may send out an SOS – be on the lookout!
Hi Pam, I like your style, I have never seen your blog before. I am going to make the egg salad recipe. I woul dlike to have the chicken, bok choy soup recipe you mentioned. Is it available? We are big soup lovers. I found you because of the burgers in the usa weekend today. Also looking for the white bean burger. Thanks, I’ll be checking back.