It wasn’t often that my dad was in charge of making supper, but every once in a while my mom would hand preparation of the last meal of the day off to him. His motto in the kitchen was, "the simpler, the better." He’d open a can of Campbell’s bean with bacon soup, mix it in a pot with some water, then slice up a couple of hot dogs and toss them in. He had supper on the table in no time at all. And, I think we liked it. Ugh.
My standards for bean soup have a come a long way since then. No more Campbell’s for me. On a chilly Saturday afternoon, I love having a pot of homemade bean soup simmering on the stove.
I like to use dried beans when I can. They are very inexpensive and I find their taste and texture to be so much better than canned beans. I like to use a quick soak method, boiling the rinsed beans for 2 minutes, then removing the beans from the heat, allowing them to soak for an hour in the hot water.
When my oldest son left for his senior year of college in September, he was leaving the comfort (or more likely uncomfort) of on-campus life and trading it for a 4-bedroom apartment. No
longer able to rely on cafeteria food, he was going to have to cook for
himself. Over the years I had taught him a few basic things about cooking but
never really gave him anything resembling real lessons. I guess I was just
hoping he was going to pick it up by osmosis. Though he has watched me cook
over the years and picked up some basics I wanted to give him a little more
formal culinary send-off. Starting in early August I began to think about what
he liked to eat and what specific skills he would need to cook those dishes. We
spent a few days going over the basics – heat control, knife techniques, etc. I
also knew that there were certain basic tools and ingredients he would need for
his kitchen. Stuffed into his luggage were three knives, a spatula, frying pan
and pot. Finally, I drew up a few basic recipes and cooking techniques that I
emailed to him. The result was a sort of mini- cooking "Cooking 101."
Last week, I had the extreme pleasure of cooking with my Great-est niece and nephew, Lauren and Max. The question of what to make was easy, it had to be simple and memorable. My goal was for them to remember what we created together forever like my memories of cooking with my mother. Forever means to me that they will think of our afternoon when they eat any of the three things we made: butter, strawberry jam and cinnamon bread. Everyday food, so basic but rarely handmade anymore and if you want to interest kids in cooking you need to show them ‘food magic.’
My dad is a competitive person, especially when it comes to the weather in wintertime. He'll call me from Rhode Island and say, "What's the weather like in San Diego?"
There is an edible experience I had as a child that remains unsurpassed. The year was 1963, I was ten. I still think about it and have tried many times to recreate it. I need to ask my brother if he remembers the moment as vividly as I do.