kitchen stadium

I sound like a broken, but really, my consistency with blogging has been shameful. I've been thinking of topics lately and sometimes it takes me a while to feel I have anything to offer to cyber space. And I am expecting a submission from a special guest, but for now, here we go.

As I type, I am watching a show that I don't normally watch but the secret ingredient is Parmigiano Reggiano. Iron Chef America aka Kitchen Stadium!

I do love cheese. I love all cheeses, although some soft cheeses and even sometimes brie I don't really care for. But hard cheeses, semi hard and blues--I just love. The sad thing is, I am committed to losing weight and getting in better shape in 2010 and I gave up cheese because it is in fact "the devils food." It is delight, but soooo fattening.
I miss it.

Anyway, I am a good cook. I just don't do it a lot. Which means I'm probably not actually that good. I took four years of Foods in high school. My classes earned me a vocational seal on my college prep diploma....that makes me laugh. However, I did in fact learn all the basics and learned great principles. What is sad about that is the fact that I then went to UGA and didn't have to cook a meal for 3 years.....thanks to the delicious UGA Food Services and Barbara and Otis at the Tri Delta House aka the Delt.

So present day, here I am living alone for roughly 6 years and being a person who, generally speaking, doesn't like left overs (there are exceptions to that) I don't cook often.

I want to do more cooking. And I do want someone to cook for. I've got a ton of great cookbooks and inspiration. I just need to find the time and get with it. I want to practice for the future. Because surely one day I'll need to cook more often. There is a fear of failure.

I really enjoy baking. I do need to really pay attention to the measurements and instructions since I am a bit out of practice. Fish intimadates me. And I don't have a grill. I am good at various versions of baked chicken and sauces. Certainly know and am confident about doing vegetables in all sorts of ways. I need to get more inspired to do casseroles, but they just seem old school.

There are things I hope to per-fect that my mom and grandmothers cook(ed): roast beef (mimi), mac and cheese (gangi), chicken salad (gangi), Squash casserole (mimi), chicken and dumplings (mom), country fried steak (mom), cornbread (gangi and mom), and cowboy beans (mom). there's many more, but I can only think of those for now.

I also have fantastic neighbors who are amazing foodies and great cooks! they are teaching me so much. although I think secretly their goal is to make me fat. ;)

so all that rambling leads me to conclude with a simple salutation and in the words of Paula Deen "Best Dishes, from my kitchen to yours"