Cooking

Nothing in my background prepared me for this. Growing up we had a cook who came every day and prepared a hot meal. I remember platters of delicious fried chicken, half-moon fried pies, green beans swimming in fat meat, fresh vegetables in all seasons and hot homemade cornbread. The rest of the day we ate the left-overs or cold cereal. I drank lots of milk. I don’t remember eating any sandwiches when I was growing up.

As my marriage approached I realized I was singularly unprepared for the expected duty of preparing meals. In my final quarter at college, in desperation, I signed up for a Home Ec class with emphasis on cooking–(according to the brochure).At the end of the class I had learned to make creme puffs and the best way to polish silver.

I did try to cook when we first married. For a short while I prepared three full meals every day with appropriate centerpieces for each meal, fresh starched napkins and lousy food.

Fortunately our first assignment in the Virginia Conference of the Methodist church was to start two brand new churches—one at either end of Roanoke, Va. This meant knocking on doors in the neighborhood to find enough Methodists to start these new congregations. These good people took pity on two young neophytes and often invited us to stay for dinner. Thus we survived.

Gradually I learned the rudiments of cooking. My children were approaching their teen years before the first McDonalds appeared. There was not so much emphasis on healthy eating in those days. My children were raised on lots of hot dogs, sloppy Joes and canned spaghetti.

My interest in cooking as more than a necessity was aroused when my son married a gourmet cook from a family which included a sister who was a professional chef. For the first time I began to use garlic and other herbs and wine in my cooking. Interestingly enough both of my children are excellent cooks, adapt at preparing healthy as well as delicious food. They usually insist on doing the cooking when they come to visit.

Now here at Brandermill I really enjoy cooking for the first time in my life. My only hindrance is my tiny kitchen. It seems like a perfect situation otherwise. David enjoys growing vegetables. I enjoy trying out new recipes. I feel relived of the daily grind and we can always go to the club house.