Cooking is a life-long process of recipes. Especially for those just learning the ”ins” and ”outs” of cooking. Questions include: What is this? Is there a reason why? Can everyone do this? Why does it take so long?
Most everyone had a favorite person(s) to “show and tell” in the kitchen. Cooking is a process, for sure. If ingredients are not in the kitchen, then you have to go buy them at the store. Oh, and this means previous knowledge. Eggs are a really good example. If you have cooked before, you know eggs usually come in ½ dz or whole dozens, fresh or hard boiled. You also know dozen means packages of 12.
Both the spoons and cups have certain portions marked on them to indicate how much you can use to make it taste right. The list of ingredients are your guide to making the cake, muffins, cookies, or meal and how long it takes.
Evidently there are many, many pots, pans,and appliances used to make something in the kitchen. Your kitchen may be small in size. One of mine was only big enough for the stove/oven, refrigerator, sink and draining area combo,and an L-shaped counter of 4 foot by 3 foot and 2 drawers. Upper cabinets (4) held plates, some glassware, and also canned goods and other supplies. The lower cabinets/shelves (2) held my baking and mixing bowls while my table was in the dining room. My organization was a necessity, since I usually used a divide and conquer process in order to cook. Clean as you go was my motto, too.
With two doorways to consider, I would tell my son to use the front door while I was cooking or canning pickles. He never understood why until he started cooking while a teenager. He then realized it was a safety issue since the stove was right next to the open doorway.
Some of my memories of cooking include mistakes in learning. I once mistook the word sugar for salt and ruined a double batch of cookies. The dog wouldn’t even take a bite, either! So, as a result, I now read the recipe several times, just to be sure!
Over the years, I discovered that some cooks do not measure. They just look/smell/taste their cooking. It seems to come out correct for them. Later, after some experience in cooking, I realized that the recipe could be changed around. My Dad would substitute Crisco for 1 stick of butter in his cookie recipe. No wonder my cookies would never taste the same as his because I used the recipe “per-zactly.”
Conclusion
So, now I enjoy cooking as it pleases me. If I want to add or subtract from a recipe, I know I can. Then, it definitely becomes my own recipe. I also love reading from the 1930’s cookbook, which I treasure. That’s another “family tale” for another time. ‘Til Then, For Now. Nola D.
| From the 1987-88 issue, The Holiday Treats Cookbook, by United Cities Gas Company, Georgia: A “Salute to the Energy Smart Builder.” The cook is Tulan Hall, wife of Gary Hall, Builder, out of Columbus, Georgia. Love the hint at the end of the recipe, too. Recipes are for sharing and I echo the sentiment that you and your family will enjoy this chicken recipe now and years to come. SWISS CHICKEN 4 boneless chicken breastsSwiss cheese slices1 can, cream of chicken soup¼ white WINEHerb stuffing mix⅓ cup melted butter PREHEAT OVEN to 350 degrees Place chicken breasts in a shallow baking dish. Put a slice and a half of cheese on each breast. Combine wine with soup. Pour mixture over chicken, then sprinkle herb stuffing mix on top. Drizzle the butter over the stuffing mix. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. You may want to add a rice dish to complete the meal. Hint: You may want to do a beef roast with the wine, instead of chicken. | |||