What a shame my culinary curiosity was almost non-existent in my youth. The last few years I’ve been more interested in food and how to prepare it. I’m really more of a baker than a cook because I really prefer to mix everything together, stick it in the oven, do something else for how ever many minutes, take it out to cool and find my work is almost done. With the new house I’ve been more interested in cooking than baking. I bought new pots and pans and have certainly had my trials cooking with gas instead of electric.
I began watching Top Chef when season 1 was nearly finished and thus began my love affair with food reality television. Before long followed The Next Food Network Star season 3 (honestly, I wanted Amy Finley to win before I even knew she had a corgi), Kitchen Nightmares (though I really don’t want to know what’s in those refrigerators) and Hell’s Kitchen (mostly seen in reruns). Admittedly, I can only learn so much about cooking and flavors from these shows. They’ve given me a new appreciation for what happens after I order food in a restaurant.
Since my earlier tally I’ve been reading like a fiend. One of the books I’m presently reading is Heat by Bill Buford. He goes to extremes to learn how to really cook. Buford works for free in a New York three-star restaurant, eventually learns Italian and travels to Italy. I’m about half way through the book. His misadventures are relayed with humor. If you’re a foodie this book may not be enjoyable since it’s focused more on working in a restaurant than about the food. It’s answered my question though of how all those reality tv contests can work without timers.
I enjoy cooking more than baking. I think it’s that I like experimenting with cooking to flavor, varying my sauces and seasonings. Baking requires me to follow a recipe, and I’m not experienced enough to get creative with deviating from recipes when baking, so my husband does all the baking.
I don’t trust myself when it comes to sauces and seasonings. I’m afraid I will watch it too much so whatever it’s supposed to do won’t happen and if I watch it too little then it will reduce to burned stuff.