There was a brief period in high school when I collected recipes, much like one collects baseball cards. I ordered recipes via catalog (before people started ordering everything from Amazon), hoping to pass it down to my grandchildren one day. Once I got these recipes in the mail, I tossed them into a plastic box to display on my desk (seeking admiration from others) - but, my recipe box went unnoticed and that hobby soon ceased to exist. But, when I finally discovered the art of cooking many years later, the recipes I had once collected became a very useful tool in the kitchen.Experimenting with food hasn't always been my forte. I've always been one to stick with the "safe" foods (if there's such a thing). Cooking what I know guarantees success – whether it be a stew, curry, or a poultry dish. But, really – what’s the fun in that?
So, with fun in mind – I started stepping out of my comfort zone to seek new recipes on the interweb and occasionally asking my friends and co-workers for recommendations. Through trial and error, my ability to cook becomes more promising every time I pick up a spatula or wooden spoon. And, most of all - it's fun to pace around the kitchen with measuring cups in hand and raw ingredients waiting on the cutting board to create something wonderful for the mouth. I’m no Julia Child, but – I aspire to be a master in the kitchen one day.
Discovering new tastes and different flavors is a refreshing experience and perhaps it is what drives me to whisk, bake, sauté, steam and broil. I give thanks to my obsessive recipe collecting teenage self because without her - my passion for cooking may have gone undiscovered for a very long time. And, that would have been a shame for you and for me.
This month – I will be making peppermint bark. I'll keep you posted.
