Childhood: “Mom, what’s for dinner?” “Mom, when is dinner going to be ready?” “Mom, you said 15 minutes, 15 minutes ago!” “Mom, this is delicious. How did you make it?” “Thanks for dinner mom.” Collegehood: *Look in refrigerator, think for about 2 minutes* *Pop a bottle of wine* (cue music) START COOKING |
I have always been curious about what is cooking in the kitchen. In fact my mom would have me stand over the kitchen sink and play with coffee grinds and soap to keep me occupied while she would cook dinner. I remember I would create these ‘delicious’ creations and insist that she tried it. Of course she would fake taste it and say “mmmm that is amazing.” It made me feel accomplished. When in reality it was her cooking that was the good stuff.
I may be a senior in college, but I still have the same mentality. If someone is around me when I am cooking, you bet your bottom dollar I am going to offer them a bite. Now my goal is to cook like my mom. To cook something wholesome and comforting.
For some, the kitchen can be a scary place. Whether it is fear of setting off the fire alarm, cutting a finger off, or simply not knowing how or what to cook, I get it. The only way to overcome this fear is by facing it belly first. Here are some dinnertime tips brought to you by #evileats
- Turn on music, whatever suits you!
- Have yourself a drink; a cold seltzer, iced tea, glass of wine, cold beer, whatever it may be stay hydrated!
- If you like cheese and have some on hand, nibble on it as you cook.
- Don’t be afraid of seasoning your food! Salt is your friend in cooking, not your enemy.
- Eat with people. It is more fun to talk about what you’ve made and share bites of food.
- Use recipes as form of influence. The more you cook, the more you’ll feel comfortable to improvise. Avoid being rigid in the kitchen!
- Don’t use the excuse of “I don’t have enough time to make food.” Some nights you may have 20 minutes to cook/eat. In which case, you may need to cut-out the wine and cheese part… or not if you’re like me. Legend has it a damn good sandwich can be made in under 10 minutes.
- Be proud of what you eat!
- Cook from your memory. What did you love to eat growing up? Try to recreate it.
- Make dinner a priority. Of course some nights we barely have enough time to look at our watches, but if you get into the mindset of dinner time truly being dinner time, you’ll inherently make the time.