Secret Love
Yes, I have a secret love. It isn’t really a secret, I just haven’t told a lot of people. The truth is, Dave loves her too. Well maybe love is a bit stong in his case.
I first spied her across a Barnes & Nobles I was in to pick up some Judy Moody book for Cailin. With her dark red-hair and confident smile she looked like someone at home in her kitchen. She somehow sensed the craving in me for my roots, the down home southern cooking I loved growing up. (I have to throw a disclaimer in here, when I say down home southern cooking I grew up with, I really mean more about the restaurants in my town. My mom wasn’t really that kind of cook.)
She is who I found to guide me throught the journey of learning to cook and she is fantastic.
Her name is Pioneer Woman or PW for short. http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/
I read her cookbook cover to cover picking out recipes and trying them as they seemed “doable” to a novice. The I progressed to her blog where she consistently posts new recipes (like the ones I just finished today – Spicy Dr. Pepper Pork Shoulder and Malted Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies).
She inspired me, gave me confidence and from her belief in me, I was able to reach out to others, namely Robb Walsh. He is a food editor for the Houston Chronicle.
Tex-Mex doesn’t really exist in AZ. It is much more traditional Mexican cuisine and if that is confusing, you are a perfect candidate for his Tex-Mex Cookbook which is so much more. It details the history of Tex-Mex cooking. He includes photos and stories of Texas, Tejano and Mexican cuisine history. Explaining the different types of chili peppers, what they are used for and other important cooking 101 items, he gave me back Tex-Mex.
Of course, Dave is the direct beneficiary of my new passions, so he is careful not to criticize usually only throwing out comments like, this is definitely a keeper when a meal strikes his fancy. (He is, after all, a smart guy.)
I never understood the allure of cooking before, it really seemed more of a chore with hundred of dirty dishes to clean later. Maybe it is a getting older thing (notice I stay away from associating myself with mature), or maybe it is because now I am doing it for myself and Dave because I want to not because I have to. That is truly one of those things that I have come to believe makes all the difference.
I do have to tell one story on myself though, Robb Walsh’s book has a recipe for a Pecan Pie made with Steen’s Pure Cane Syrup, which I ordered in from Louisiana. I spent a fair amount of time, melting the sugars in the syrup, letting them completely cool so the eggs don’t inadvertently cook in the sugars, etc. I made the pie (obviously my first pecan pie ever) and excitedly told Dave the pie would be ready shortly to which he replied. “I don’t like Pecan Pie.” “What?!?!” I said
“I don’t like Pecan Pie, but I will certainly taste it.” Sullenly I admitted, “I don’t like Pecan Pie either, I was making it for you.” sigh….
We both had a sliver and yep, we still don’t like Pecan Pie.
Oh well, I will just chalk it up to more cooking experience.
If you are interested, here are links to the cookbooks mentioned. PW’s is available on the Kindle as is the Walsh Cowboy cookbook (which had the Pecan Pie Recipe, but not his Tex-Mex cookbook – sadly).
Happy Cooking!