Dave’s Joy of Cooking
Five or six years ago, I paid good money for one of those career aptitude tests. The test came back with the result “craftsman”, which I puzzled over for years. It sort of made sense, but it really didn’t connect with anything that I liked doing. It came to me this morning while I was chopping onions and bell peppers for tonight’s dinner (burgers and chips): I love prepping food.
I love my seven-inch Santoku knife. I’ve had it for about four years; it’s in that sweet spot of its existence where it seems to get sharper with each use. I use it almost exclusively (I use other knives to cut bread and to peel and scrape). I’m still a novice with meats and poultry, so I mostly buy prepped stuff that does not need additional cutting.
Of course, I enjoy watching the cooking shows. Even before the current reality cooking rage, I loved to watch “Julia & Jacques” and “Two Fat Ladies”, among others. My current favorite is “Top Chef”, with “Chopped” a close second. My favorite food shows are “Bizarre Foods” and “Man v. Food”.
Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations” is in a class by itself. It’s part travelogue, part rant, part culture shock, and part kitchen. My favorite part is when Mr. Bourdain is invited into someone’s kitchen and is accepted into the family circle long enough to get true insight into a family’s or community’s cooking roots. I get jealous (in a good way) when he dishes (pun intended) about how uniquely delicious everything tastes, and I know that he can’t be wrong! Week after week he pounds home the fact that when food is made with loving hands, it has to taste good.
I love creating food that tastes good. I also love creating food that is healthy and saves money. Two of my favorites are carrot juice and hamburgers. What supermarkets charge for carrot juice is just ridiculous! I can chop/blend/liquefy one dollar’s worth of carrots into a gallon of carrot juice. Go price a half-gallon of carrot juice at your local market; you’ll see why my blender paid for itself years ago! And the kicker – homemade carrot juice is about the healthiest thing you can drink! Same thing with burgers. For $5 I can make four big, delicious, healthy beef or turkey burgers at home – enough for at least two meals. How many truly healthy meals can be purchased outside the home with $5.00? (The only thing that comes to mind is Subway. I do looove me some Subway!)
I used to make mozzarella, tomato and basil tarts 4-5 years ago. Not only were they fun to make, the end result was absolutely delicious! It’s a shame that my renal diet precludes me from making this dish nowadays. What I still love about it is that the tomatoes, which are mostly water, retained the heat for hours after taking the tarts out of the oven. The first time I made them, I took the picture you see above.
So, if I love cooking so much, why not try it as a profession? Here’s why: I am way past the point where working 70-80 hours a week (or more) is considered cool or anything remotely resembling healthy. Even if I wanted to do it, I don’t think I am physically able. Also, there are things I am better at that won’t demand as much of my time. Like IT. Whatever career I choose this time, I promise I will manage the job – instead of the other way around.
[Author’s note: Hilva brought home some sandwiches last night, so I had a burger with chips for breakfast this morning.]
