winging it

a few weeks back, i woke up with the cold from hell. it lasted about ten days for hendrix and i. it lasted about 21 days for mike. did i mention he has the immune system similar to a newborn? anyway, i woke up wanting two things. hot tea and homemade chicken noodle soup. the kind of soup that has the big, thick noodles. real chicken. and chunks of carrot and celery. i am a purist when it comes to chicken noodle soup. mostly, because i've only had actual, real chicken noodle soup twice in my life as opposed to the campbell's can my mother would feed me. gross. i set out to make it in the crockpot and it was beautiful and delicious. i totally winged it with the items in my freezer and pantry. what a satisfying thing. . .to provide a delicious, soul warming, comfort food for my sick family.
a week or so before the cold from hell, i woke up wanting bohemian cafe's sweet & sour cabbage. lucky me, i had a head of cabbage in the crisper drawer. and caraway seeds. people, i nailed that recipe. i fried up some pork schnitzel, made some sour cream mashed potatoes, and saved mike a 25 minute drive downtown. mike was so impressed. my next goal is to make the hungarian goulash that they serve there. it's mike's favorite.
was i always able to wing it? no. about 8 years ago my cousin had to teach me how to let eggs cook slowly instead of burning them. my "specialty" was spaghetti with a can of ragu and 1/2 container of parmesan added to it. as i grew older, lived on my own more, and became friends with cooks i decided that i needed to learn how to cook more stuff. someone once told me that my grandmother read cookbooks like they were novels. this is a great way to learn what flavors go together and techniques. getting a job at buvette opened even more doors for me since you are immersed in the kitchen and all that goes with it. now i would never buy parmesan in a container or a jar of tomato sauce. why? some would say because i am a snob. i say because it is cheaper to shred it yourself, the sauce tastes better when you make it in your pan, and the meal is that much more satisfying. a little practice goes a long way in the kitchen.