I have never been much of a cook. Like most, I relied on the convenience foods that are everywhere in our culture. The need to stay on a budget was the main driving force in learning to cook at home.
I had to realize that making Peanut Butter and Jelly and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches was not really cooking, even though it was saving quite a bit over eating out.
Raising our own meat and having a garden was the first step for me. There was quite a sense of achievement when I could look at the meal on the plate in front of me and realize that 80% of it came from my efforts.
The real problem lies in the fact that I am an extremely finicky eater. I generally didn’t season anything before putting it on the grill or in the oven. I hate onions, the taste, texture, why would I put onion powder on anything??? Same with pepper. When my wife would make something that I liked and I would ask what was in it, she would tell me “ you don’t want to know” because if I found out there was something in it that I didn’t care for I wouldn’t eat it again.
I thought it was ok but my family had no problem letting me know how they felt about it. So, tail tucked in between my legs, I asked my wife to teach me the basics of how to cook. And I found the limits of her patience.
I could not grasp the concept of “ a dash of this or a pinch of that”. If a recipe called for half a teaspoon of garlic powder, I would be looking for the half teaspoon measuring spoon. She would stop and ask me “ what are you doing?” to which I would reply “I’m looking for the measuring spoon”. “You don’t need that, you just put in about this much”. At times communication is not our strong point. This was one of those times.
In my mind cooking was no different than working on a vehicle. You followed instructions. When you are changing the oil in the car you don’t guess how much to put in, it takes 4 quarts, any more or less and you have problems. Over time I have learned that I’m not working on a car. Like most endeavours, experience is the best teacher. I’ve learned how certain items can have an effect on the meal. Having a little more ( or less ) than the recipe calls for is not the end of the world. Another foundational belief of mine shattered! The world will not come to an end because instructions were not followed to the letter. Who knew?
It’s still a challenge, I really don’t care for anything even mildly spicy which makes finding recipe’s difficult, so I will leave out the spicy ingredients. Most times it works out ok.
I also have to realize that even though I don’t care for a specific ingredient, It does not always have a dramatic influence on the taste.
By taking some initiative and trial and error, I have begun to realize the variations available for meals using a few basic ingredients are endless.
Now I have to work on planning meals in advance instead of waiting until late afternoon, looking at my wife and asking “ what sounds good for dinner?”
Tim