cook pot stories

"Let's cook," Frannie said energetically. "We will smell so good that they'll all come running." She picked up a bowl, filled it with apples from the barrel, and immediately began to cut them up. I put water to boil, got out cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, lard, flour, sugar, salt, saleratus, vinegar, and all the other things for apple pies. We both laughed happily. How easy it is, we thought, to make a decision, to implement a remedy, to act.” ― Sena Jeter Naslund, Ahab's Wife, or The Star-Gazer

“...no one is born a great cook, one learns by doing.” ― Julia Child, My Life in France

“There is communion of more than our bodies when bread is broken and wine drunk.” ― M.F.K. Fisher

This week was the conclusion of a 6-week cooking class I took at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts.   I wanted to approach this with a beginner's mind so I discovered a great deal, not only about cooking but about learning and myself. What did I learn, in my adventure into cooking and beginner's mind? A few things, all of which can be taken literally or metaphorically. Sharp knives matter. Cutting with a dull knife takes longer, requires more effort and you're much more likely to hurt yourself. Make sure your knife is honed as well as sharpened even if you have to expend a little bit of energy to make it so. Use the knife that fits your hand. No matter how big, flashy or expensive, if you can't use it comfortably you won't use it well. When in doubt, add a little more butter. Okay, this may not apply to everything, but almost everything. A little bit of richness in the mouth or in our lives isn't necessarily a bad thing. Even if you have cholest...