My Super-Important Goals

This will be a long post because it’s the first and I think it’s necessary to explain fully the long list of my cooking failures. We begin. I had two goals for last summer: to get a really, really good garden going, and to learn to be an exceptional cook. The latter was much more interesting to my husband. Bear in mind that he has to eat all of my sad cooking. I could put my hand to a lot of things that I want to be good at (embroidery, sewing, classical guitar, piano, oil painting, crafts in general), but I’ve decided to wait for glory to get started on those projects. On this side of eternity, it’s a showdown between me and the kitchen. And If I’m going to expend energy on something I want to master, my family should at least benefit from it (I use the word ‘benefit’ very loosely).

My goal can be divided into several categories, and includes several sub-goals, as exhibited below (lucky you, I’ve already mastered outlines).

I.  Cooking (meals)

            A.  Cooktop and oven

            B. Grilling

            C. Crockpot

                    1. Gourmet crockpot (we’ll see if this exists)

                    2. Throw-it-in-and-see-what-comes-out crockpot (this has traditionally been my m.o., but I don’t really know what things taste good together and blend well, so what has come out in the past has been pretty unsavory)

II. Baking
            A. Milling-this is so secondary to desserts
            B. Breads & desserts—this is massively important
III. Canning

A.      Salsa

B.      Vegetables I need in order to make salsa

C.      Herb mixes I need to make salsa better

D.      Canning really boils down to making salsa, better salsa, and lots of salsa

E.       Fruits, jellies & jams

IV. Gardening

A.      Vegetables required to make salsa

B.      Herbs required to make salsa better

C.      Herbs that are going to make cooking better, in general

D.      Stuff for salads. And salsa.

That’s it. That’s everything. Included in my arsenal of cooking weapons are two dinky knives that won’t really cut a tomato, a bread maker, an “oven”, a stovetop, a refrigerator (I’m scraping for weapons here), assorted forks and spoons, a slew of cookbooks that I’ve never opened and several Pampered Chef items I’m not sure how to use. I’ll stop now because I want to protect you from the sin of coveting.

Good cooking, as if I know, includes meal planning (I already do a limited version of this), spending more of my husband’s hard-earned money on fresh produce and  unprocessed food, carving out time to really, really cook and finally, convincing my family to eat it. That’s easy enough. I have an infant that doesn’t care what my cooking tastes like, two five-year-olds that don’t get choices, and a husband that has been mostly starved of decent food for a dozen years. Half the battle: check.  Also, I’m going for a methodical approach, mostly because I don’t know where to get started. So, page 1 of a random cookbook and I’ll work my way through. I pledge not to skip ingredients simply because I don’t know what they are or because they just seem weird. If I knew how to cook, this blog wouldn’t exist. Secondly, I pledge that my meals will include at least one side, which is an area where I’ve been extremely weak, unless you count canned corn. I don’t. I pledge to at least TRY to include a starter/appetizer a minimum of twice a week, or at least a fancy salad, and a dessert. These are high expectations I’m placing on myself.

Here’s a good time to mention one amazing weapon that my cooking arsenal includes, which is a set of Wolfgang Puck pots and pans that my husband purchased for me several years ago. My WP pots and pans are probably sooo tired of heating up canned Ragu. No more. You’ll reach your full potential, WP. Just you wait.

This blog is dedicated to chronicling my cooking successes. My cooking failures will live under the banner of "what happens in the kitchen, stays in the kitchen." This blog will be a happy place.

Page 1 of a random cookbook, which actually begins on page 3 of a cookbook that Doesn’t. Include. Pictures. (who would do that?) The Best American Recipes 2003-2004. Starter: Cheese Snips. Main Course: Olive Mill Pasta.  Side: Arugula Salad with Cherries. Dessert: Lemon Posset.

Holy. Cow. I mean it.

Pictures will be posted. You’ll be jealous. Are you ready? Here we go!

P.S. Because I know you’re curious, my goal of developing a fantastic garden didn’t happen this year, but come spring, salsa will be sprouting from every bud.