First and foremost. . .
Food should nourish as well as taste great. Start with the
freshest and best quality ingredients, use the proper
preparation (cooking method, temperature, time), add just the
right seasoning, perhaps a little sauce, and you and yours will
have a quality meal. Add love, and you will have a feast.
I can't remember a time when I didn't cook. Mom taught me to
cook my breakfast eggs when I was tall enough to reach the
stove. By the time I graduated from high school, I was cooking
dinner for dad. That was the late sixties, and the social
revolution of the time included a rebellion against the bleached
refined white flours of Wonder Bread and the canned and frozen
veggies cooked beyond recognition. We welcomed new textures
and flavors; Brown rice, stone-ground whole wheat, tofu, exotic
spices and flavorings, all were embraced and incorporated into
everyday cooking.
Cooking was also a vehicle for camaraderie; a social event
culminating in a great meal. At almost every gathering of friends,
we'd pool our resources, cook, try new things, and talk about
food. In those days, living in large groups assured affordable as
well as sociable households where most every evening meal
was a gathering. I often cooked the main meal, and accepted
the challenge to stay within our budget while offering
sustainable, good tasting fare. I took a weekend job as a
waitress, and soon the chef and I were swapping recipes. Those
experiences led to work as a cook in private homes for
individuals and family groups, and catering for casual gatherings.
It was always exciting for me, still is. With all the resources
available via the Internet and a plethora of good cookbooks,
food shows on TV, grocery stores, and restaurants, we are
surrounded by a world of options. The quest for healthy living
has sparked a new food revolution, leaving behind favorite
carbs in exchange for wholesome whole grains and abundant
varieties of fresh vegetables. Cooking now is more fun than
ever. Mexican, Italian, Thai and Vietnamese; Indian, Chinese,
Spanish, and French; Rustic or Gourmet - nothing escapes us
and we infuse it all into our own Classic American version.
Enough talk. let's cook! . . . Terri Burney-Bisett
Food should nourish as well as taste great. Start with the
freshest and best quality ingredients, use the proper
preparation (cooking method, temperature, time), add just the
right seasoning, perhaps a little sauce, and you and yours will
have a quality meal. Add love, and you will have a feast.
I can't remember a time when I didn't cook. Mom taught me to
cook my breakfast eggs when I was tall enough to reach the
stove. By the time I graduated from high school, I was cooking
dinner for dad. That was the late sixties, and the social
revolution of the time included a rebellion against the bleached
refined white flours of Wonder Bread and the canned and frozen
veggies cooked beyond recognition. We welcomed new textures
and flavors; Brown rice, stone-ground whole wheat, tofu, exotic
spices and flavorings, all were embraced and incorporated into
everyday cooking.
Cooking was also a vehicle for camaraderie; a social event
culminating in a great meal. At almost every gathering of friends,
we'd pool our resources, cook, try new things, and talk about
food. In those days, living in large groups assured affordable as
well as sociable households where most every evening meal
was a gathering. I often cooked the main meal, and accepted
the challenge to stay within our budget while offering
sustainable, good tasting fare. I took a weekend job as a
waitress, and soon the chef and I were swapping recipes. Those
experiences led to work as a cook in private homes for
individuals and family groups, and catering for casual gatherings.
It was always exciting for me, still is. With all the resources
available via the Internet and a plethora of good cookbooks,
food shows on TV, grocery stores, and restaurants, we are
surrounded by a world of options. The quest for healthy living
has sparked a new food revolution, leaving behind favorite
carbs in exchange for wholesome whole grains and abundant
varieties of fresh vegetables. Cooking now is more fun than
ever. Mexican, Italian, Thai and Vietnamese; Indian, Chinese,
Spanish, and French; Rustic or Gourmet - nothing escapes us
and we infuse it all into our own Classic American version.
Enough talk. let's cook! . . . Terri Burney-Bisett
| Terri Burney-Bisett . . . I cook, therefore I am. |
