Dear Readers,
I just noticed it has been a while since I've posted. I haven't stopped cooking though.
A special thanks goes to Andrea and Jeff for moving on to bigger and better cookware in their new home. They've allowed my experiment to continue uninterrupted by letting me keep most of their cookware (plus all sorts of spices).
This isn't really an experiment though. An experiment is somehow temporary and this is anything but temporary. Going on nearly 3 1/2 months now and it is very natural for me to cook for myself. I really don't see how I could go back to all the takeout.
What has all this cooking done? Some of you may wonder if I've lost weight. I have lost some and I continue to monitor this, but don't think that is what this is about. Originally, it was about feeling a sense of personal fulfillment over my ability to sustain myself without the help of others. It was about totally controlling what I consume, not in a bad or manipulative or psychologically unhealthy way, but in a way that is empowering. One result which is hard to ignore is that I feel much better and I continue to feel better each day.
There are more subtle results though,too. Cooking forces you to slow down. Now, I have arrived at numerous ways to save time by preparing things ahead of time, but generally, the act of cooking forces you to actually address the food you're eating. You're forced to engage with the ingredients in their natural, pre-cooked state. In some cases, this is fascinating, like the inside of a shallot. In other cases, a carrot is still just a carrot. But, at least the carrot isn't mixed up with any preservatives or high fructose corn syrup or anything else.
The threat of losing my way does present itself sometimes. I've started to rely on store bought items instead of making them myself. This week I had to succumb to the lure of store bought pesto. I've made this several times with great inconsistency. My best one was actually my first one way back in January. I'll need to try it again though. I can do better than Butoni if I try!
There are a few other aspects that have been miserable failures. I've just killed my third attempt at growing basil. Is growing herbs really that hard? I've tried inside- I've tried outside. It's just too delicate for my gardening capabilities. Perhaps that's for later in journey.
I have had some success though. Last weekend I made a turkey breast for Easter dinner. Elizabeth helped. It is wonderful what can happen when you follow a good recipe very closely; things come out pretty good. I even inserted, then proceeded to read and monitor, a meat thermometer for the first time. I'm not sure you've cooked until you've timed something according to it's internal temperature.
Tonight I saw a program called Jamie Oliver's food revolution. He's a British TV chef who's come to West Virginia to the "unhealthiest town in America" to try and teach people how to be self sufficient and live healthier lives. It seems I'm not the only one who's lost her way and felt disconnected to the food I eat. It seems we're a nation of people which has virtually no idea what it is to buy and store food, combine ingredients and apply heat to them, then portion a meal for themselves and their families. We didn't used to be this helpless. I'm not going to pretend that I know how we've lost our way, or even how I lost my way. What I do know is that my personal journey towards self sufficient nutrition is being, and needs to be, done my millions of others.
Good night now. I think I'll make a perfect hard boiled egg in the morning. Did you know you're not actually supposed to boil the egg? Who knew?
Til next time.
Jo
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