Why Are You Surprised It Tastes Good?

If I had to list things I can do and really do well cooking might be at the top of the list. I really like to eat so learning to cook was fairly essential at an early age. Since I grew up in the sixties going out to eat was a special occasion event. Most meals had to be homemade. Being a good cook probably contributed to my over eating problem, but it also has been key to loosing weight too.

My advice to young people is learn to cook.   It is one skill you will use everyday of your life, sometimes multiple times a day.

My own daughter is gaining interest in cooking only because she sees college in her future and she is worried about cooking for herself. When I say interest I am probably overstating the situation. She says things like, “You are going to have to teach me how to cook chicken before I go to college.” When I say, “Ok, I’ll teach you now.” I am met with a look that says, “Not now.”

It takes years to get to be a really great cook and that is if you are actually interested and have the time and the money. Knowing that Carter sees the learning as something she can put off until the last moment I am trying to make things now that are really easy to cook are cheep and tasty hoping to entice her to learn. The problem is that she often turns up her nose at new foods.

Yesterday was a perfect example. I made pancetta wrapped pork tenderloin with rosemary, lemon zest and fennel seeds with a side of green lentils. She had a bit of the pork and refused the lentils.

Tonight when she went to have dinner the mashed potatoes that were in the refrigerator were passed their prime. Seeing few options I offered her a bite of my lentils. Surprise, she loved them. A quick microwave of a cup and she had a new food she discovered liking.

When Carter was little she was a very adventurous eater. She was the only child at nursery school who was eating salmon roll-ups for snack. Somewhere along the way she started giving up foods she once loved and protesting things I cooked. Now if I can just get her to take a bite she often say, “Oh, I like this.”

Why is she surprised it tastes good? I actually can cook and I also like to eat good tasting food. Now if I can just get her to start doing some of the cooking so she can take care of herself in a couple of years.