Flutterby™! : cook like a girl 2007-05-11 19:15:47.167366+00

cook like a girl

2007-05-11 19:15:47.167366+00 by Dan Lyke 2 comments

In Praise of Sardines: I Cook Like A Girl reminds me of an exchange I had with Charlene one evening. I was in the kitchen, slapping something together, and asked what she'd like with her... I forget what it was, it may have been polenta, or it may have been collards or some sort of greens, and she asked if I had ever just cooked an ingredient and served it, or if I always had to fuss over it.

Really. I have. I think. I'm sure that at some point I've just steamed greens without tossing garlic or currants or something else in with them...

Asha and I dug out here "Diet for a New America" book and started playing with the recipes. I made green beans the other night from the book. These beans involved saute-ing garlic, searing the beans and simmering in bullion for 30 minutes. Normally, I'd just throw them in the steamer maybe with a sliced garlic or onion at the most. The rest of the recipes were similar - way involved. But this was in a book from the 80s and was attempting to make food palatable to folks used to canned green beans with bacon.

Last night Asha started a recipe while I ran out for the mail. I came back in and sat down at the computer. After a while she called to me to see if I was going to help. She had finished assembling the greens for a salad that involved rice and stir-fried zuchinni but hadn't started the rice! She was struggling to find the Chervil - which we use so rarely it's not in a jar. But that's the kind of information that I know quite well and she doesn't.

For us, she cooks simpler because she doesn't feel as comfortable with lots of ingredients. She also hates inconsistencies. No matter how many times I tell her that raw dishes are unrepeatable, she doesn't get it (all organic foods have enough variation in texture and flavor to make the dishes hard to repeat). I do like to experiment and don't need a cookbook to make a meal. I also like stronger flavors - I've been on a raw cacao and fresh ginger with a dash of cayenne smoothie kick lately.

I know I run like a girl, 'cause a boy told me so - way back in 1970 or thereabout. I didn't know any better at the time and was insulted. Imagine! After all, I AM a girl, so I should have just said "thank you!", right?

Of course, anytime someone says you do something "like a girl" it seems it's intended as an insult. I admit to not reading your link but I am guessing this time is an exception ;-)