C is for Cooking

...that's good enough for meeeee...C is for Cooking, that's good enough for meeeee....

Sorry.  I typed that title and immediately Cookie Monster popped into my brain and he was singing "C is for Cookie" only with the word "cooking".  And now he won't stop.  Please make him stop.

While he continues singing in my brain, I'm going to share a secret with you.

Oooooh, a secret.  Yes, I know you're on the edge of your seats! Here's my secret. Ready?

Are you suuuuure?

Okay.

*looks both ways and over shoulder*

*drops voice to a whisper*

I like to cook.

I KNOW! Right? Shocking, especially since there's a whole category of this blog dedicated to my little corner of the wide, wide world of culinary arts.

Cooking is one of my greatest joys in life.  It is immediately followed by eating, of course.  But more important than eating what I've created is watching others enjoying themselves while eating something I've prepared with them in mind.  Whether it's a simple, soul-warming plate of spaghetti and meatballs or something large-scale like a turkey dinner with all the trimmings for a dozen people...I just love to cook and to give to others.  I love watching people tuck in to a big ol' plate of Jen Love. 

And really, I feel that food taps into a part of the soul that few other things can touch.  Some of our best and fondest memories occur around the table - family dinners, holidays, celebrations.  And how many times do you find yourself remembering a certain restaurant and saying, "Oooohhh, I remember that place, they had the best _______!".  Everyone has at least one of those places.  The places you remember because you had something special there, something that stuck with you.  I want to have a place like that one day!

And since I'm feeling very tired right now and more than a slight bit wonky (throat's a little sore, tummy's a little upset), I'm going to shut up and show you pictures of dishes I've made which haven't previously made it into the blog:

 

I made this last Valentine's Day for Rob - my version of Disney's Polynesian Resort's Tonga Toast.  Thick-sliced bread stuffed with bananas and deep fried, then rolled in cinnamon and sugar. 

It's a scandal on a plate.  Although at the Poly it's usually...more...crisp.  Lesson learned.

 

My first, and definitely my best, attempt at homemade Italian bread.

 

Another version of bolognese, this time courtesy of Alton Brown.  I still prefer this version - much less time was spent actively working on the sauce than in this instance.  I might still post on this, I have all the pictures.

 

A strawberry shortcake concocted for Rob's birthday.  It sort of got away from me and before I knew it I had a monster on my hands.

 

But my oh my, isn't that pretty?

 

Well gobble, gobble.  She and I became very close friends as I deftly slipped pats of butter between her skin and meat.  She wasn't so attractive before she went into the oven...

 

...but oh my goodness did she have it going on when she came out.  Whew! Almost makes me want to cook another one.  And how did she repay me for the makeover I bestowed upon her? She gave me an ache in my arms that bothered me the whole evening and following day.

Seriously.  She was a big girl.

 

Stuffing.  That's all I have to say about that.  

Oh, and I wish it was Thanksmas again tomorrow.  Thanksmas being smack between Thanksgiving and Christmas when we invited friends over for turkey and the rest.  It was a delicious night.

Anyway, that's just a sample of what I love to do.  I wish I had better pictures but one thing I'm becoming more serious about is taking better pictures of my food.  Because my food deserves it.  And looking at cooking and photography blogs is starting to make me jealous, while at the same time giving me some great inspiration.

Well, time to go to sleep...

...cooking cooking cooking starts with C....

Shut up, Cookie Monster!

Sigh.

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