Cooking: It doesn’t have to be scary

Interesting things happen in the supermarket. Because I teach cooking classes, I probably shop for groceries more than most people. Without fail, when other shoppers cannot spot a store employee, they
invariably head in my direction.

I suppose a woman with a basket full of groceries must look like a resource person. Most generally, I am asked where an item is located, and I usually can help them find it right away. Being a gregarious person, I actually enjoy helping
others.

One gentleman, whose wife sent him to the store with a lengthy list, needed help with cream of tartar. (He thought it was a dairy item.)

Recently, I was hurriedly shopping for ingredients for the Hatch chili class. While looking over the tomatillos for the freshest ones, a pretty young woman suddenly greeted me with, “You’re Bonnie, aren’t you?” I had to smile as I admitted that
was indeed my name.

Enthusiastically, she told me that a friend had given her my cookbook “Farm to France” as a gift and that she loved it because “it was not scary!”

Suddenly, I forgot all about the tomatillos. This woman had captured my full attention.

I replied, “Not scary?” She smiled broadly and explained that she was not a cook, but that my book was beautiful, and that she was pulled into it by the photos. Soon she realized that she could actually make the recipes because the directions
were easy to follow and did not scare her. She went on to tell me the things she had made, and all turned out well. She was so pleased. Yes, she could actually cook!

As we chatted for a few minutes before we parted ways, I realized that I had made a new friend.

Back in the kitchen as I was prepping for the class, my thoughts returned to the young woman.

There are others like her who would enjoy cooking if they only knew how or had the confidence to try.

I am here to tell you that cooking is not scary. Cooking can be an acquired skill. Learn about food by reading a good cookbook and trying some of the appealing recipes. Watch cooking shows to see how ingredients are put together. Or take a
few cooking classes to learn some specific techniques.

It will not take long to become confident in the kitchen. Not only is cooking an enjoyable way to express your creativity, but you will be eating better and saving money.

And perhaps more importantly, you will find joy in sharing good food with those you love.

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Cooking with Bill & Sheila