And another thing...

Something I didn't mention in my last post was that I love to cook. Cooking really is one of the easier tasks in life, as long as you have a recipe and time, it can be done. However, where most people have issues is the ability to multitask while cooking. Now, I don't mean cook and take a shower at the same time. I mean, cook multiple dishes at the same time. For example, take my favorite dish, Chicken Marsala.

But just the chicken (and marsala) isn't enough for a meal. You need some variety, some veggies and starches!!! You need to be able to cook different dishes at the same time and also have them finish at the same time. Being able to do this is key when fixing a meal.

I learned to cook from two people: My father and my mother.

Father:

 My dad learned to cook from his dad, but not in the way you're probably thinking. My grandfather (who died many years before I was born) like to start cooking, start drinking, then pass out before the food was finished. Dad learned quickly that if he wanted dinner, he'd have to finish up.

I never knew my grandfather but he never really sounded like that great of a father. My dad struggled for a long time in that position as well. My first memory of my father was visiting him in prison. As I've gotten older, he has opened up about why he was there, but what is important is that my first memory of my father was visiting him...in jail...I was a child. Not the best of places to raise a son. I remember the day he came home. I was  4 or 5 and they (mom and dad) kept it a secret so I would be surprised. He knocked on the door and my mom told me to get it. When I saw my father, I burst into tears and ran into his arms. It's the single most favorite memory of my father.

But back to cooking. He wasn't the best teacher at most things, but food he knew. He earned the position of cook while he was in prison and made some pretty good dishes from the crap they served there. He would ask me if I wanted to help make dinner and he'd let me peel the potato with a knife, cut onions...with a knife, slice apples...with a knife. I was like 8, so using a knife was FUN! He would put something on and make me finish it. At first he would tell me what to do, but after a while, he'd go watch TV and I'd have to finish it myself. I don't have any memories of screwing anything up, so nothing to dramatic must have happened.

(As a side note, my father and I are on much better terms. He lives 10 minutes away now and gets to see Addison every week)

My mother and father divorced when I was 11 and he moved away to the beach. My mother was forced to work three jobs. Her main job during the day, a second job at home and a part time job at Wal-Mart. This is where I learned to cook from my mother. I would get home from school around 4 and mom would get home around 5:30. She would bring home boxes of writing pens for her and I to assemble. My job was to make dinner for the two of us, do my homework, and then help with the pens until bed. My mother would then continue assembling the pens until 1 or 2 in the morning and then go to bed, only to wake up and leave before I got up and went to school. My mother was the only reason I graduated high school and finished college. If it wasn't for her, I'm pretty sure I would have ended up like a lot like a younger version of my father (something I never want to be). So making dinner for my mother is how she taught me to cook.

Mother:

So as you can tell, this post was more about my mom and dad (and a little of our relationships) than cooking. There is way more to it than that, but it's a good start to get to know me better. I guess that's the point of doing this. Getting things out there that maybe even my closest friends don't know about me. Or putting thoughts and memories down on something (simi) permanent so that they aren't lost forever in my head. Who knows, but I hope you enjoyed todays post. Don't go and get hooked though. I seriously doubt I can do this on a daily basis, or even weekly. 

Until next time, dear readers...

do something FUN (but safe) with a knife!