Whole heap of zing

When the pandemic started last year, I received a chain email which I opted to keep going.  It wasn’t one of those “if you break this, you’ll have eternal bad luck,” ones (which I immediately delete.). Rather, it suggested that for the participants share recipes with the names on a list, knocking off the top name and adding your own at the end.  The theory being that there are enough people who are interested in swapping and sharing recipes to keep the chain going.  I got about a dozen recipes (some of which were sufficiently similar that they counted as duplicates) and it kicked me into enough activity to actually comb through my large collection of cookbooks to try new things. 

Full disclosure, in spite of owning more cookbooks than the average bookstore keeps in stock, I’m not a “follow a recipe closely” type of cook.  I learned how to cook at the side of my grandmother, aunts and mother, and none of those meals had a written recipe. I think that I asked too many questions, because my aunt gifted me cookbooks as part of my weekly book allowance. My earliest cookbooks were some thin booklets produced by Carnation milk, which were intended for young children (under-10) and which taught me how to make jam tarts, pinwheel sandwiches and easy spaghetti bolognese.  In the back of a Famous Five Annual (the children’s book series, not the activists) was a recipe for cheese scones that my aunt and I made once, and decided that they weren’t as good as they seemed.  But I do remember spending many happy hours rereading Marguerite Patten’s cookbook, choosing recipes that I wanted to try, designing menus for elaborate meals and occasionally being allowed to try something (almost always a cake or biscuits, because I knew they wouldn’t last long.). On a recent trip home, I was flipping carefully through that book (the pages are now loose) and saw where I had pencilled in marks on dishes that I wanted to try. (Chicken vol-au-vent stands out, because it seemed so exotic... I was disappointed when I actually tried it later in life). 

My collection grew over time. The family books included the Five Roses Cookbook, with a publication date in the late 1960’s. I understood that it was a grocery promotion item, and my mom and her sisters each had one.  There was one that lived in the kitchen drawer and had loose pages from being turned to the same pages repeatedly (the 1-egg cake, which was the standard for our birthday cakes, and the 7-minute frosting). I’ve since acquired the 1930’s edition, complete with handwritten notes from Don’s mother, indicating items that were favourites of the family.  I’ve tried some, and they are still great!  My aunt also gave me a couple of books for Asian and international cooking that I also spent time reading and contemplating making.  I did learn a couple of those, like the recipe for chicken corn soup and egg foo yung, and chicken fried rice. Not bad for someone under 10 😁 We also would sometimes make wontons, which were, and remain, definite 5-star choices.

That’s a roundabout way of saying that I’ve always enjoyed cooking and reading cookbooks!  In fact, my hobbies have always included reading and cooking as far back as I can find notes on the subject.    They overlapped in cookbooks, leading to my collection of well over 100 books in 2 countries.  As part of my recovery plan, I had signed up for some classes at my local supermarket and at the LCBO for cooking (and how to pair with wine, cider or spirits) which I thoroughly enjoyed.  Once the pandemic hit, though, my classes were suspended, so I began reviewing my collection and trying new things.  It’s been a great experience, and I’ve definitely learned some new dishes and some techniques to improve my skills.  I was also thrilled to learn some dishes and techniques that elevate a meal to “gourmet” while not affecting my budget.  Practicing my plating and presentation definitely pays off!

My niece has issued a limitation on acquiring new cookbooks, because, she said, I can probably find everything I need in my existing collection.  I am allowed to borrow from the library, or from friends or download from the internet.  If I want to add new books, I have to swap out an equal number.  It’s true that I’m creating a copy of myself, and I’m challenging to handle 😂 

Finding things to do during this pandemic that do not significantly increase the costs of managing my home is certainly stretching my creativity.  It’s a chance to try out new recipes in my collection, or to share ideas with friends.  For instance, I got 3 recipes for “white” chili (made with chicken or turkey, aka white meat). The ingredients varied among them, with one adding navy beans, one kidney and one omitting them altogether.  One recipe made use of tomato paste, one used spaghetti sauce.  And so on.  Playing with these ideas provided me with new ways to make dishes that aren’t part of my normal rotation.  In conversation with a West African friend, I started adding peanut butter to my stew, which gives a rich, thick gravy, then I began experimenting with adding cocoa/chocolate to my meat, and preparing moles. I admit that I enjoy certain spice combinations more than others. That might be partly due to limited exposure to some blends as much as to disliking certain flavours.

So, yes, I’m experimenting with various recipes.  I’ve been practicing some items (next up, croissants, which I understand are hellishly persnickety); learning new ones (deboning a whole bird; making jelly rolls) and trying new cuisines (currently trying Spanish). In between, I’ve been making breads, trying out desserts and filling cookie jars. My goal is to have a reasonably well stocked fridge and freezer so that I maximize my grocery shopping.  The recipes that I received earlier last year inspired me to stretch my capabilities and to explore more, so this year I will work on mastering at least 2 new dishes and teach my niece at least one each month. I’m open to suggestions on what I should try next!