One book that I would enjoy writing is a cooking book. I can remember loving to cook when I was 12 years old. The macaroni and cheese recipe on the side of the Ronzoni box was just the beginning of a career that revolves around food. To me, following the recipe to a “T” was like performing a chemistry experiment…only the chemicals were ingredients. And the result, well, the flavor and texture were just phenomenal; family and friends loved it. The modifications that I made to the recipe have lived on and are being followed by the cooks at Miami Country Day School.
My passion for cooking can be seen by the wealth of recipes I have collected. Just like my grandmother, I have bags of newspaper clippings that house bundles of recipes. I have an index box of recipes that I will share with my grown children when they are ready to cook. Interspersed throughout the book will be memories of the most wonderful times that I can remember which include food such as the time my grandmother and I cooked veal stew together. The stew began with the finest softest meat and then I added colors and flavors to it. The best part of that day was the song about cooking veal stew that we sang all afternoon. I still sing it at times when my mom and I reminisce. The words were logical : “Veal stew, veal stew, we’re gonna cook some veal stew. You can chop, I will stir, I can stir and you will chop!” The melody was fun and happy.
The nine hundred and fifty chocolate chip cookies that I baked one spring in order to find the most tasty low-fat version of the Toll House Recipe will be mentioned. The family connection will describe the nights when I delivered hot homemade chocolate chip cookies (the full fat type) to my kids while they laid out on the trampoline with their friends looking up at the stars and quietly chatting.
The collection of recipes that I have is not only derived from newspaper clippings that my grandmother and I clipped, but they are also from word of mouth. I have asked chefs, restaurant cooks, friends, and waitresses for lists of ingredients so that I could replicate an enjoyed flavor in my home. I have a recipe for fresh cheese that I wrote down on a cattle farm in Brazil. I have a wonderful baked chicken recipe from Galicia Spain that uses a special clay pot to conserve and enhance the flavor. I have learned to prepare Colombian style arepas and Mexican ranchero sauce. Are you getting hungry yet?
Sunday night dinners have been a showcase for new and old recipes. Now that my kids are grown they visit me every Sunday night for a dinner cooked with love. Their favorite recipe is for Buffalo Chicken Burritos. I prepare two versions, of course. The high fat version for some, and the lowfat version for a few of us who prefer to watch our weight.
The book will be entitled: Cooking with Love, A Family tradition. It will include simple recipes that children, teenagers, and adults will enjoy preparing for themselves and their friends. I intend to include recipe modifications that will promote healthy eating as part of a healthy lifestyle.
