I
had a long list of ‘I will nevers’ when it comes to cooking
and eating. But in the recent past, I have watched my list
shrink. I whittled it away as time became more of a commodity.
Having a baby will do that to a person.
As
I found myself pouring curry sauce from bottle into pan, I asked
myself: Have I gone completely mad? As I tossed frozen artichoke
hearts into sizzling olive oil I thought: Is it really so hard
to garner the chokes from scratch? And perhaps the crowning
glory came as I dumped a slab of pre‑packaged, marinated
tri‑tip from Trader Joe’s onto the grill. My stars, have
my standards ever plummeted. Egads. That was shortly after I
immersed a packet of pre‑cooked rice into a pot of boiling
water. What have I become?
A
mother, I suppose.
But
since I’m just as passionate about food as ever, and excited
about having another mouth around to feed, I have reconciled
my desire to prepare outstanding and nutritious meals with the
fact that it is no longer possible nor necessary at present
to: grow all my own herbs; cut a chicken from whole to pieces;
make my own breadcrumbs, croutons and pizza crust (I don’t have
time for yeast to grow–that takes precious minutes); and, alas,
make mole and curry from scratch.
Here’s
a taste of my former list.
I
will never use bottled sauces. This puritanical notion dissolved
as I discovered that some of them are quite piquant and tasty.
And economical. Bottled mole, for example, when doctored with
a bit of Mexican chocolate and a splash or two of dark beer
for thinning, makes a laudable substitute for what took hours
to make, and a pleasant puddle for shredded chicken or turkey.
Served over pre‑cooked rice? Voilà. I rival famed Mexican
food chef Rick Bayless.
I
will never use pre‑cut vegetables. Do you have any idea
how long it takes to peel and cube a butternut squash? I’ve
also talked myself into thinking that those oddities called
baby carrots are a good idea. I well know they are not baby
carrots, but grown‑up carrots viciously peeled and shaped
into adorable nubbins. I’m OK with that.
I
will never use frozen vegetables. When I crossed this one off
my list, I must admit to a bit of relief. Some vegetables are
perfectly acceptable in their frozen forms. Peas, artichoke
hearts, corn, lima beans and, in some cases, asparagus, spare
this cook valuable time in the kitchen.
I
will never use Hamburger Helper or Rice‑A‑Roni.
Yes. There are still some items holding fast on my list of ‘I
will nevers.’
Contact
Lupita at foodamericana@msn.com.
