From Scratch You Say

1 - From the beginning or 2 - starting with no advantage or preparation = scratch.

(No, not an itch to scratch.)

When you think of the word scratch, what do you think of?  Cooking usually comes to mind—actual homemade cooking.  The cooking our mothers and grandmothers used to do.  Box mixes and prepared meals were not available.  And eating leftovers was a necessity – not to waste food.  Mom’s comment to me when I was not thrilled with her choice for dinner was, “there are children somewhere in this world that are hungry right now.”  Hard to refute, feelings of sadness erupted inside me that a child was hungry.  That was until Mom served two things I despised.

First, salmon patties out of the can.  I would cut the salmon up into small bites and gag down each piece with a large gulp of milk.  When introduced to fresh salmon cooked on the grill, I loved it and couldn’t believe it was the same thing.

Second, again from a can, zucchini in a tomato-type sauce.  I love fresh zucchini now—there are many ways to cook it.  One of my favorite ways is a Zucchini Chocolate Cake.  Especially when I tell myself it is healthy having two cups of zucchini in the recipe.

You might call me a baker and a cookie maker.  I love to bake cakes, pies, cookies, sweetbreads, and candy.  The problem is - I feel a need to test every batch that comes out of the oven to see if it is eatable.  By the time I have finished baking, I’ve taste-tested too many cookies.  Lucky for me, I can’t taste-test the pies, cakes, and sweetbreads.

My favorite thing to do with a new recipe is try it on a large group of people.  Unknown to my guests, I wait to see if there are comments or requests for the recipe.  That is the actual test of a great recipe.

My husband believes I have a problem. My collection of cookbooks exceeds 50, several of which I have never opened or tried any of the recipes.  I respond by saying, “I plan to try them someday.”  He even tries to reason with me, “If you get rid of some of those cookbooks, you will have more room in the pantry.”  I reply, “You’re right,” then promptly move a few of them around or to a different location.

From the massive number of cookbooks, one might deduce I’m a fabulous cook.  They might also be wrong.  Paula Dean, Rachel Ray, and Martha Stewart come to mind when I think of fantastic scratch cooks.  I have learned many tips from these women with their cooking shows over the years.   But personally, my mother was the best cook, although it took many years to come close to her skills.

When I first cooked for my husband, Don, my sister, and I shared an apartment.  I invited Don over after work for a spaghetti dinner.  Seated around the table, Don took his first bite and immediately pulled a long blonde hair from his mouth.  Horrified, I apologized profusely while my sister and Don enjoyed teasing and laughing.  To this day, I am continually reminded of this.

After Don and I married, I decided to try to make chili from a mix called “Five Alarm Chili.”  In the supermarket, I read the directions, and it gave instructions on how to make a “False Alarm” batch, which I would try, as I do not like spicy food – although Don enjoys a little spice.  Taking his first bite, Don swallowed hard and immediately tried to speak, “How much spice did you add?” I said, “Nothing!  I followed the package instructions for a false alarm chili.”  He grabbed his glass of milk, downed it while heading to the refrigerator for more.  He suggested that I hold off on making any chili for a while.

Over the years, I have become better at following directions on packages and recipes while trying to cook more from scratch, to eliminate many of the preservatives and additives inserted into our foods so that they might stay on the grocery store shelf longer.

Books that pertain to eating healthier with fewer preservatives are:

• Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating
• Gordon Ramsay's Healthy, Lean & Fit: Mouthwatering Recipes to Fuel You for Life
• Genius Foods: Become Smarter, Happier, and More Productive While Protecting Your Brain for Life
• I'll Start Again Monday: Break the Cycle of Unhealthy Eating Habits with Lasting Spiritual Satisfaction
• Clean Eating for Beginners: 75 Recipes and 21-Day Meal Plan for Healthy Living

Several online recipe websites:

• https://www.allrecipes.com/
• https://www.simplyrecipes.com/
• https://www.epicurious.com/
• https://www.delish.com/cooking/

Cute quotes:

• Real cooking is more about following your heart than following recipes.
• The dishes are looking at me dirty again…
• When I learned how to cook. I forgot how to clean!!
• I spend a lot of time holding the refrigerator door open, looking for answers.
• A messy KITCHEN is a sign of happiness.
• If you don’t like the food, keep it to yourself.

Happy Cooking!

All my best,

Julie

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