Bits for Sunday, September 7, 2008

If you were to visit my home, you’d find that my TV is usually parked on one of two channels – HGTV or the Food Network. If I could get a TV package that allowed for only ten channels, I’d be perfectly content – as long as those two were at the top of that list. This would explain why I’m always dreaming up new décor…and why I spend so much time in the kitchen.

I absolutely love to cook. It may be one of the smallest rooms in my house, but my kitchen is the place that gets a ton of attention from me. Mom says I’m far too ambitious to begin cooking projects very late in the evening…but it’s what I love to do. It’s the perfect wind-down project before bed.

Last week I told you that I used to think I wanted to teach and then I veered far from that plan. But if I’d actually gone in that direction, and if it were still a topic that got very much attention in schools, I think teaching Home Economics (or whatever politically correct term those classes are now named) would have been my calling.

I took pretty much all those classes when I was in high school – mostly to avoid taking health. (That shouldn’t shock anyone.) We had some sort of exchange plan that allowed us to take one semester of health or four semesters of home ec. I took the long way around, but I loved every minute of it. I learned to pack brown sugar down in a measuring cup until I’d probably doubled the amount that was supposed to be in it. I learned the water displacement method for measuring shortening (thank goodness Crisco invented shortening sticks after that, because I hated all methods of measuring shortening). I learned the proper way to set a table, and so many more things.

When I was in college, I began to realize that this cooking thing was really fun. I think three years of dining hall food, no matter how good it was, finally took its toll, and I became very interested in learning to make my own cuisine. I subscribed to my first cooking magazine and received my first cooking utensils – which I still have and use.

And now, all grown up, I cook all the time. I’ve heard a lot of people say that if they didn’t “have” to cook, they wouldn’t. But for me, cooking is what makes this feel more like home. There’s nothing wrong with a bowl of cereal for dinner or a trusty cup of Ramen on the go…but there’s also nothing like a real meal on a real plate at a normal meal time. (And an ever-ready stock of cookies or brownies stashed away somewhere, of course!) Today I sat in church listening to my stomach growl, knowing that waiting at home in the slow cooker was a ham…and that a freshly assembled pan of Paula Deen’s macaroni and cheese waited to be baked, and just to honor the teaching of the Home Ec gang, there would even be a serving of peas to complete the meal.

Am I a perfect cook? Absolutely not. Angela could tell you about the angel food cake disaster (I’ve not made another one since). There was the night when I learned that chicken still on the bone takes much longer to cook than boneless. The brownies that my dad renamed “burnies.” And I’m sure there are other things I’ve blocked out entirely. But for all the mistakes, I’ve turned out to be a pretty decent cook.

And I love to share the world of food, because I agree with the fine folks on Food Network – there’s something very personal and comforting about food. (And not just the overindulgence of it.)

One of my goals for this decade was to put together a collection of my favorite and best recipes…and not just the list of ingredients and the instructions. The tips that go with them…the stories of why I love those foods and the memories they have already created for me.

So I’ve decided to share some of my favorites here so you can try them too if you’re so inclined. Below, you'll find the very first one – my favorite pancake recipe. I even added pictures in case you’re a visual learner. I’ll post new recipes from time to time and if you’re looking for something new to add to your repertoire – I invite you to check them out and even better…try them!