How Do You?

Do you see my new “How Do You” button right up there on top of my blog?  As an extreme novice on the technology side of blog world I have to say I’m pretty darned proud of it!

Looking back at my own inspiring and delightful moments with food, I’d have to say most of them had the “whole package”.  You know what I mean – simple food wonderfully prepared and shared with awesome folks, engaging conversation, twinkling candles, great music and a perfectly paired wine. And….if I happen to be dining alfresco under the stars well, you just can’t get much more delightful than that.

So my new button is all out about the “simply prepared” component of the whole package.  Because to be honest I have always loved food but I have not always known how to cook.  I vividly remember back in the day holding an onion in my hand and having no idea how to dice it.  I’ll be adding tips and techniques frequently.  This is basic, basic, basic stuff, so you advanced cooks out there can just skip over the “How Do You” posts.  And I will have a certain someone in mind as I am writing them……

Last August the final box was unpacked, all suspect surfaces lovingly disinfected, the vacuum thoroughly run and refrigerator (over) stocked.  It was finally time to give my son a quick hug and race to the airport.  He was officially installed in Boulder in his first ever college apartment happily anticipating the start of classes at CU the following week.

For those of you who have not had this wonderful “child’s first apartment” experience, the sheer terror level is probably akin only to watching as the bus whisks them away, off to the first day of kindergarten.  My biggest and most gnawing thoughts centered on obsessing how he was to feed and sustain himself in this apartment…when he did not know how to cook.  Unlike my daughters who were blessed with the “lovetocook&lovetoeat” gene, my son only got the “lovetoeat” gene.  He was never around when the slicing, dicing, broiling or baking occurred but rather mastered the art of sliding in just as the scrumptious food was set on the table.  Did he know how to peel a carrot or dice an onion?  Hmmmm?

I must go on record here.  At absolutely no point in time did I ever text or call him multiple times a day inquiring “what’s up” and then ingeniously and sneakily slipping in food minded questions (such as what he had eaten for lunch).  Absolutely not.  Never did that.  Nope, nope not me. It did not happen.

Because I remembered my own college days.  (These were the days before I knew how to cook and before I tried not to eat food with things on labels I did not recognize.)  We became masters at the art of cooking Ramen Noodles in immersion hot pots.  (These tin contraptions were originally meant to heat a cup of water for tea but we found many more crafty culinary uses for them.)  And there is the vague recollection of a long bus ride to a dingy government outpost somewhere in Dekalb, IL which dispensed five pound blocks of a velveeta-like cheese substance.  All you had to do was fill out the forms declaring you’ve met the qualifying  low income requirements of said government dispenser.  As you see in the picture we were healthy, happy and well fed. So…..really there was no need to badger my son about eating – right?

Instead of wasting time worrying I channeled all the energy into creating the idea of a “How Do You?” button  for my blog.  So Topher, if you are ever cooking dinner at your apartment one night and have a “how do you?” question, no worries!  Just click on Mom’s blog.

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