I LOVE to cook. Well, let me quantify that. I love to cook, IF it’s quick and easy and delicious. I’m not one of those Julia Child kind of cooks who wants to spend four hours in my kitchen preparing a meal. I’m more the Rachael Ray kind. 
Maybe because my kitchen isn’t all that big, and just finding the right pan means moving twenty others out of the way in the one cabinet deep enough to hold the pots and pans. Or maybe because I’ve got the full-time writing job, the kids, the husband, the dogs, and the cat keeping me busy, too.
But I do love making easy, yummy meals, ones that take a half hour or hour or less, aren’t super complicated (my whole blog is dedicated to my cooking trials and tribulations and my family’s reactions), and, in my spare time, reading TONS of cooking magazines and finding more recipes. I attack my grocery list like a military operation, making sure I have the right ingredients to make at least three new recipes for the week, and LOVE the summer when the open-air market is open downtown and I can get super-fresh-from-the-farm fruits, veggies and herbs.
Cooking is also therapy for me–writing therapy. When I’m having a bad writing day, I’ll head to the kitchen. Not just for high-carb munchies but to get my mind off the book for a while. I find that taking to the pots and pans, and concentrating on mixing and melding ingredients, takes my mind in new directions. It allows me to fous on something else, and while I’m cooking food, my brain is “cooking” the book in my subconscious. The plot is twisting and turning, the characters are developing, and the story is coming together.
Cooking has also taught me a few other things that I have taken back to my writing. When I first started to cook, I used to be so precise. Following the recipes exactly, measuring right down to the last grain of salt.
But as I grew in confidence, I started experimenting, throwing in the spices by eye and taste (those, FYI, are my Easy Pizza Calzones). Trying cilantro instead of parsley because I wanted to take this dish up a notch, or removing the red pepper flakes because I thought that dish already had enough heat with the cayenne. Substituting pecans for peanuts, because I knew the sweeter nuts would taste better in those cookies.
I’d also make up my own recipes, throwing together whatever I had in the cabinets. Some of my concoctions were wonderful. Some were…not. But with each effort, I learned more about my own skills as a home chef, and about what I could accomplish, given some time and a few ingredients.
My writing has evolved much the same way. In the beginning, I used to follow all the “rules,” and it stressed me out to no end. It also showed in my work–the words were flat, and lacked in personality. But as I grew in ability and confidence, I started trying a little of this, a little of that, breaking those same rules here and there. I threw in my own ingredients, creating my own style, rather than following the prescribed methods of someone else. Some of my early efforts were wonderful. Some were…not.
But after a while, I hit my stride and found exactly what I’d been seeking, and like my cooking, the results became something I could rely upon. I knew what I could do, and how to do it, and with what tools and ingredients. Cooking and writing both have become fun, something I love to do, every day. Throw me some ingredients, or throw me some words, and I’ll create something.
When I’m cooking, my current book is always in the back of my mind, and when I’m writing, my tummy is always there, reminding me that there’s something simmering on the stove. The brain and the stomach–working together, at least in me. Thank goodness the one works well enough to pay the bills for the other because the tummy end really wants a bigger kitchen to start expanding the cooking repertoire.
What about you? Do you like to cook? Any favorite standby meals in your house?
Shirley
I love trying new things — sometimes just the name will entice me, before I ever look at the ingredients. We used to belong to a monthly supper club and that was a great place to try out new dishes.
My most requested dishes were a taco salad that was embarrassingly easy, and Nanaimo bars — got that recipe via my son’s English class. Long story.
The Food Network used to be the default channel on the tv in the room where I did my day job stuff.
ALL my books have food scenes. I HAVE to know what my characters like to eat, and if they can cook. I love reading books like Diana Mott Davidson’s Goldie Bear series with all the recipes and food. I’ve got a couple of recipes from my own books on my website. I keep meaning to update it.
by Terry Odell August 26th, 2008 at 8:18 amHi Terry,
I love Taco Salad! Isn’t it cool where we get recipes? Some of my best come from weird places, too.
I watch The Food Network ALL THE TIME. It’s the default noise in my house. I have favorite chefs and then ones I totally can’t stand and won’t watch. It’s their voices or something that grate on me.
I put LOTS of food scenes in my books (and had a whole series of books with 30-odd recipes per book that the books centered around). I once met Diana and had lunch with her when she came to my town years ago. She was as sweet and gracious as Goldie in person. Really nice lady!!
Shirley
by Shirley Jump August 26th, 2008 at 8:57 amI remember meeting Sarah Moulton at a food expo. She was so nice. She even ‘published’ my email on her show once, when I wrote to tell her that her show had inspired us to visit Ballymaloe House when we were in Cork, Ireland. What an experience, and I’d never have heard of it except for her show.
by Terry Odell August 26th, 2008 at 9:27 amI love to cook and I can and make jams. One of my old faithful gizmos is my slow cooker, because sometimes I get so into the story that I’ve burned things. I like to stir and think about plots.
by Cait London August 26th, 2008 at 11:18 amStandby meals, no, but standby comfort or must-have-when-you-need-a-pick-me-up, yes. Chocolate chip cookies. There’s nothing better than homemade Tollhouse cookies fresh out of the oven. Yum!
by Misa Ramirez August 26th, 2008 at 11:33 amMy kids love meatloaf. I make it with ground turkey now, to try and make it a little healthier. But instead of one big loaf you have to bake for an hour, I make mini loaves- essentially big oval shaped meatballs- and cook them at 450 for 20 to 25 minutes.
I know what you mean about The Rules. Had me in a headlock for the longest time.
by Robyn August 26th, 2008 at 11:45 amCait,
I’ve never tried jam, believe it or not. I think I’ve just never kept enough fruit around long enough, LOL. My kids love fruit so it doesn’t last long here.
I am a TOTAL fan of the slowcooker! I use mine a lot in the colder months!
Terry — Sara Moulton’s show is cool! I love lots of her recipes (and those handmade pepper grinders she has are the bomb!).
Robyn, I should try mini meatloaves. I’ve seen them in recipe mags. My kids like meatloaf, especially when it has lots of tasty stuff on it!
Misa, I lived right down the street from the original Toll House restaurant when I was young and ate there the night before it burned down (it was a great restaurant!). I LOVE Toll House cookies. In fact, I love ALL cookies
Shirley
by Shirley Jump August 26th, 2008 at 12:46 pmSpeaking of meatloaf. My mom used to put hard boiled eggs inside. Anyone else ever done this? We thought it was so cool to get those sliced egg sections in our dinner.
Frankie, one of my heroines isn’t much of a cook, but she makes ‘happy face pancakes’. My dad used to make animal pancakes on Sunday mornings, too.
by Terry Odell August 26th, 2008 at 12:57 pmI love to cook the big family meals. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and large BBQ’s. I find it hard to cook the little meals for my husband and me, but when the kids and grandkids are around I cook up a storm.
by Lee August 26th, 2008 at 1:00 pmOh, I love to cook– don’t do as much of it these days, since everyone’s into their own thing around my house, but it’s one of my favorite past times, as is collecting cookbooks. (At last count, somewhere in the neighborhood of 700 or so.)
Mostly, I collect both regional American cookbooks and vintage cookbooks, especially product cookbooks. They’re such a fantastic window into different areas of the country and different eras. I get great story ideas from them.
(Although really, that tag never closes…)
by Barbara Caridad Ferrer August 26th, 2008 at 4:28 pmWhere would I be without Taste of Home magazine and my crock pot! I learned working as an historical interpreter years ago to be an “eyeball” cook–”that looks right, let’s try this….” I’ll have to try those mini-meat loaves, Robyn–I don’t often make meat loaf because of the time factor; I think that’s a great idea!
by Leah August 26th, 2008 at 9:20 pmI can’t say I love to cook, but I do love to eat yummy food. When I’m in a time crunch though, my favorite standbys are burritos and pita bread pizzas. Both are simple to make and easy to jazz up with a little of this and a little of that!
by Jenyfer Matthews August 28th, 2008 at 1:51 am