Confessions of a Novice Cook

I think I established in a previous blog that I don't make New Year's Resolutions. I have aspirations one might say. Things that I would like to do differently, more efficiently or just plain better. Cooking is one of those things. Over the years I think I have become a good cook but certainly not a great one. Until I got married I had only made a handful of actual meals. It wasn't until my last name changed by marriage and I became a full time family of 4 that I realized things had to change. Never mind me. I had made do over the years but my husband and two boys had to eat.

As good as my mom was at being a cook, she wasn't a varied one. I could probably take 10 minutes and write down all the recipes she made while I was growing up. Once I got married, I probably asked for a handful of those recipes, but honestly, after eating them for so many years, there weren't too many I wanted.  So I launched into my year-long quest to establish myself as a cook. I subscribed to Quick Cooking (the best kind for a full time employee with a full time family of 4) and began to cook away. Every night I would lovingly prepare a new recipe to be met with a thumbs up, thumbs down, or in our lingo, a do over or never again status. My grateful husband's accolades were often countered by my exceptionally picky step sons' dislikes. It was after our first wedding anniversary when I remember Brandon looking at his beef stew with the most perplexed look on his face.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Beef Stew." I answered. "Why"

"We've HAD this BEFORE" , he said in disgust. It was in that moment that I realized that maybe it was time to close the magazine and start making something for a second or third time. I was creating monsters. Clearly.

Here I am 12 years down the road and it's only in the last 2 1/2 years that I have re-opened cooking magazines -- this time Cooking Light and Family Circle recipe inserts -- to expand my cooking horizons. Time to take my 2 inch cooking binder of typed recipes divided by category, and start updating my cooking. Not that any one's complaining. Over the years I've kept my cooking fresh and new and, honestly, I have so many recipes I could probably go a full two years without ever having to repeat a dish.  But in the last few years Tony's cholesterol has elevated and both of us have had to watch our calories a little more than in past years. Something about being 40....blah, blah, blah.

Like I said, I'm a good cook, but not a great one. Friends will post statuses and links to these fabulous sounding dinners and amazing desserts and I realize I want to be better. Sure, I make some fancy sounding dinner at times And they are good. I make some mean mashed potatoes, awesome asparagus.. And my chicken tenders--the best I've ever tasted. But I realize I could be better. I want to use more varied vegetables and learn to make those fancy dishes I read about. And that is where my New Year's Aspirations kick in.

Tonight, leeks are on the menu. Potato and leek soup actually. Give me bok choy, eggplant, or a spaghetti or acorn squash, I'm your girl. But until this week, if you had handed me a leek, I would have asked you what it is and what do I do with it. Yes, leeks. It's what's for dinner.

Wish me well in the kitchen, please. I sliced the tip of my pointy finger tonight chopping the potatoes. A few months ago it was my pinkie finger. I have serious issues with knives.  A knives safety class might be a really smart part of my 2010 cooking adventure. Stay tuned!