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My daughters can’t understand why I do not enjoy cooking shows on television since I love to cook and learning about new recipes. The reason I like to find out about things other people cook is because every treasured recipe has the same three characteristics: quick, good and made with ordinary ingredients.

And, those qualities are also why I do not like to watch cooking shows.  All the things prepared take hours, I don’t really know how they really taste and every single one has many exotic or strange ingredients.

They are never content to leave a wonderful recipe alone, but have to add unknown spices, pineapple chunks and grated goat’s cheese. I constantly say: “Leave that out - you are ruining it.” Or “Put a dash of garlic for heaven’s sake.” or “Will anyone eat blue dressing?”
It all becomes so irritating that I just change channels and try to find an old English mystery movie.  One that takes place on a gloomy moor, with a beautiful but neglected castle and a Lord to match.

Today, everyone wants to know what people think, what they really mean when they give an opinion and as much details about a person’s private business as possible. Graphologists claim they can tell a person’s deep, dark secrets by the way they write the loops on b, g and p. It’s possible, but I think a person reveals a great deal by the way they do anything.
Television talk shows have guests who can tell you what someone had for lunch by the way they move their hands or eyes as they speak.  My mother, who was always right, knew all her life how to judge someone by certain facial movements or even a shrug of their shoulder.  A blink of an eye usually meant they were lying and a shrug meant they didn’t care if you knew it.

I think we are incapable of getting away from ourselves, even if we sometimes want to.  No matter what I am doing, whether it is writing, speaking, cooking, painting, decorating, driving or walking I always do things my own way. And, so do you.

I have thought about this and finally realize that a person’s character and personality is completely revealed by the way they cook.   I never use a recipe except on rare occasions when I want to prepare an old favorite for a family dinner and I want to be certain I remember to put in all the familiar ingredients.

Psychiatrists have patients lie on a couch to talk and talk, when they could just as easily put them in a kitchen and ask them to cook.  It would be less expensive and a lot more enjoyable.

A cook who is fun, happy and trustworthy can go into their kitchen, take a few cans and a package of pasta from the pantry, onions, garlic, bell peppers and mushrooms from the refrigerator and within ten minutes have a wonderful meal ready.  And without even thinking about a recipe. That is an unquestionable indication of a well-balanced individual who will live long and prosper. 

My mother, who was always right, was a fabulous cook and did not like to share recipes. When friends asked for a recipe for something they really enjoyed, she would give them one, but left out a few essential ingredients that made it scrumptious.

She refused to give me the family recipe for pralines unless I swore on the Bible I would not ever, ever, ever tell anyone else – even family members.  I haven’t either. I do have it in my will so my daughters can bear the burden of never being able to share the secret of how to make perfect pralines. I have also provided that if it is ever discovered they have given the recipe to anyone they are automatically disinherited.

Mama said, when discussing food and cooking one day, “In order to be an excellent cook, one has to really like what they cook, take time to serve it nicely and never tell anyone how they did it.” After musing for a moment, Mama said, “Now that I think about it, I have never seen a really good cook who wasn’t plump.”

I like what Miss Piggy said about how to enjoy what you eat: “I never eat more food than I can lift.”

Bon Appetit!

 

Editor’s Note: Thank you to all who called and sent emails telling me how much you enjoyed the Labor Day greetings.  I will try to do more soon.  To rhyme all four lines is the most difficult kind of rhyming – but also the most fun!