Easy does it
My friend doesn’t think I cook. By her standards, I don’t really. She has questioned me on more than one occasion if I cook daily. I tried to explain that generally yes I do but it depends… sometimes we eat leftovers. The things I cook most often are tacos, spaghetti, salads, or some baked meat with steamed vegetables or beans and fresh fruit. Every now and then I’ll make a chicken pot pie or casserole of some sort, but I know we eat healthier when I keep it simple. That being said, I can generally whip up dinner in 30 mins to 1 hour max. Her meals take 2-3 hours. While there are some dishes that have long cook times, there’s also a lot of prep work in many dishes.
I got to help make kibbeh one night while I was visiting. I couldn’t believe the process!! Granted, she was making a large batch for a gathering the next day but still, it was quite labor intensive. In order to get the desired texture and consistency, the bugler wheat/chicken mixture was processed through a meat grinder twice. This in itself took over an hour due to the size of the batch. Then each one had to be formed, filled with cooked meat & onions and fried. The end results were delicious, but I don’t know that it’s a dish I would have attempted to make.
Another dish I’ve learned how to make is stuffed grape leaves. She laughed at me when I first rolled one up. I made it too loose and it had to be rewrapped. By the time we were finished I’d kinda gotten the swing of things. I’ve had these regularly at her home and never fully appreciated the time and effort that went into them. She was excited because she’d just gotten a food processor cutting the preparation time dramatically and it still seemed like such a labor of love to me!
One thing I really enjoyed about cooking at her house was the community atmosphere. Her sister in law and friend were also there cooking kibbeh with her (though not the entire time) and she called up another friend to join us in making grape leaves. I tried asking if people cooked in community in her home country, but I’m not sure she understood the question. It made the time pass faster and the task seem less tedious. When I’ve cooked for various things, it’s just me in the kitchen. I’ve enjoyed the hustle and bustle during holidays when everyone chips in to prepare a feast, but I don’t tend to think about it on a regular basis. Maybe it’s because I’ve never had a big kitchen, so things get cramped. A few of us made grape leaves again at our apartment and since the kitchen is small, most of the prep work was just done around the table. Then we all sat back and talked for an hour while the food cooked and kids played.
Do I take the easy way out too often? How much of a difference would it make to make my own pasta and sauce? Am I missing out on relationships by cutting corners? I want to challenge you. Invite some friends over this week or next but don't have anything prepared ahead of time (at least not the bulk of the meal). Then spend the time cooking together. Or take it a step further and ask a friend to teach you how to cook one of their specialty dishes. Find out what ingredients you'll need ahead of time and enjoy!!
I got to help make kibbeh one night while I was visiting. I couldn’t believe the process!! Granted, she was making a large batch for a gathering the next day but still, it was quite labor intensive. In order to get the desired texture and consistency, the bugler wheat/chicken mixture was processed through a meat grinder twice. This in itself took over an hour due to the size of the batch. Then each one had to be formed, filled with cooked meat & onions and fried. The end results were delicious, but I don’t know that it’s a dish I would have attempted to make.
Another dish I’ve learned how to make is stuffed grape leaves. She laughed at me when I first rolled one up. I made it too loose and it had to be rewrapped. By the time we were finished I’d kinda gotten the swing of things. I’ve had these regularly at her home and never fully appreciated the time and effort that went into them. She was excited because she’d just gotten a food processor cutting the preparation time dramatically and it still seemed like such a labor of love to me!
One thing I really enjoyed about cooking at her house was the community atmosphere. Her sister in law and friend were also there cooking kibbeh with her (though not the entire time) and she called up another friend to join us in making grape leaves. I tried asking if people cooked in community in her home country, but I’m not sure she understood the question. It made the time pass faster and the task seem less tedious. When I’ve cooked for various things, it’s just me in the kitchen. I’ve enjoyed the hustle and bustle during holidays when everyone chips in to prepare a feast, but I don’t tend to think about it on a regular basis. Maybe it’s because I’ve never had a big kitchen, so things get cramped. A few of us made grape leaves again at our apartment and since the kitchen is small, most of the prep work was just done around the table. Then we all sat back and talked for an hour while the food cooked and kids played.
Do I take the easy way out too often? How much of a difference would it make to make my own pasta and sauce? Am I missing out on relationships by cutting corners? I want to challenge you. Invite some friends over this week or next but don't have anything prepared ahead of time (at least not the bulk of the meal). Then spend the time cooking together. Or take it a step further and ask a friend to teach you how to cook one of their specialty dishes. Find out what ingredients you'll need ahead of time and enjoy!!
Comments
Post a Comment