Here's the first survey of (hopefully) a few select more. I made my mama take it (She is one of the best cooks I know, okay, she IS the best cook I know...). I was going to videotape her interview (as a change in material) but of course my family, being very un-savvy in the technological world, couldn't get the video camera to work (let alone know how to get it on to the computer...). So, for now I'm stuck with boring written surveys. My responses will be in my next post because I don't know how long these things can be before they (figuratively) break the computer page.
Cooking survey
Name: Terri O’Brien
Age: 46 years old
1.Do you like (i.e. enjoy) cooking?
I love to cook! I love engaging all my senses in the kitchen. Cooking is a little of this and a little of that. Unlike baking, cooking allows you to be creative without having to do precise measurements. I love the smell of herbs and spices as I am in the kitchen. I love to touch and feel the vegetables and fruits and determine by touch if they are going to be good ingredients in my meals.
2. Are you the main meal provider in your house?
I am the main meal planner in my household and I do not mind it a bit! Because I own my own business and work daily, I have to prepare ahead of time for our meals. On Sundays, I make a weekly menu to determine what my shopping list will include. It helps me to prepare meals in the early morning hours before I head off to work. As the kids are getting out the door with their lunches and breakfast, I move on to “what’s for dinner.” I try to make a meal that has the ability to be another meal for later in the week. For example, I made a beef tenderloin on Saturday and today we had BBQ beef sandwiches. I marinated the beef in a mixture of chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, grape jelly, red pepper flakes and garlic this morning. After it soaked all day, I heated up the meat and served it on onion rolls. Easy, but still very tasty!
3. What is your favorite meal to make?
My favorite meal to make is the one that my family enjoys! But really, my favorite meal to make would be spaghetti or chili. My kids and husband love to eat either of these dishes. I love using my canned tomatoes that I work for days on at the end of the summer. Opening up a jar of my tomatoes feels like summer all winter long! I love to stop during my busy day in my home office and stir the sauce in the Crockpot. Cooking my family’s favorite meals creates a sense of calmness for me during the day!
4. How old were you when you first started to cook?
I started cooking when I was about twelve; well, that’s when I burnt my first meal. I put some eggs on the stovetop, but failed to put any water in the pan. Needless to say the eggs exploded all over the kitchen. I learned what “smells like rotten eggs” really means! One of my first jobs was working at the Sweden House in the back of the house. I never really cooked much but thought if my friend Cathy could cook, so could I. On my first day as a prep cook I was assigned the simple task of making potato salad. The manager handed over the recipe and sent me on my merry way to the walk in cooler. The potatoes were chilled and I started boiling the water for the eggs. (Funny that I knew that the water needed to be boiled for the eggs, but failed to realize that the potatoes needed to be cooked too). I mixed the chopped, cooked eggs, onions, celery and mayo in the 50 lb.tub of diced potatoes and went to ask the manager what he wanted me to do next. He asked me if I was waiting for the potatoes to cool, I told him they were already cool when I took them out of the freezer. When he asked if I cooked them first, I thought I was going to puke. He proceeded to assign me the simple task of jello with whipping cream. Let’s just say that I learned “whip” cream really means whipping it with a mixer not with a spatula. I also learned that slicing carrots in a large slicer requires strong arms and the use of the safety otherwise you might look like Lucille Ball. Maybe being fired after my first day made me determined to learn to cook, and, if I do say so myself, I make a heck of a potato salad now.
5. Give me the lowdown on an average meal:
I have several cooking books that I browse before making my weekly menu. I write down my list of ingredients, check the pantry to see if I need anything on my list and head to the grocery store. I always look for the freshest ingredients and deals of course! One of my favorite dishes to make is White Fish in White Wine Soup. I start by adding a bit of olive oil to my pan and browning up some chopped green onions and garlic. After the onions and garlic start to brown up, I turn down the heat and scrape them off the bottom of the pan. I add a quart of chicken stock, a quart of my canned tomatoes, a cup of white wine (anything you would drink) a can of artichokes and simmer on low for about 25 minutes. Then I grill the white fish fillets with some salt and pepper. Once the fish is done, you can tell by it flakes up easily, I put the fish in a bowl and ladle a cup of the liquid broth mixture over the fish. It is so easy, healthy and smells yummy in the kitchen, not your typical fishy smelling meal.
6. Do you think there’s a difference between cooking and baking?
I love to cook, but hate to bake. I think anyone who doesn’t spend much time in the kitchen thinks that they are the same, let me be clear, they are not! Baking is like sewing, it takes precise measurements and patience. I have neither! Smearing on Crisco to pans, or rolling out dough, measuring flour, babysitting the oven are all things a good bake requires. I prefer to rub an undetermined amount of spices on a beef roast, peel back the leaves off the stem of rosemary, feel and smell tomatoes in my garden, and see my masterpieces on the stovetop vs. looking in the lit oven.
7. Do you express your personality through your food? How?
I do think food is an expression of your soul. A day in the kitchen cooking for me is one of the most relaxing things to do. I think when you enjoy something so much, your passion and love for life comes out in your food. My senses come alive in the kitchen so a part of me is in every meal. My lifestyle is simple and healthy and it is reflected in my cooking.
8. Do you feel that having to cook has affected other aspects of your life?
Cooking for some is a chore, for me it is a gift of expression. As a working mom of two girls, I am glad that I love to cook! I plan breakfast, lunch, and dinner between 6am and 7am every day. Like many things in life, to be a good cook, you have to plan out your meals. It makes it easier and more enjoyable for the hours spent in the kitchen.
