Cooking in the Morning
As I look down at my keyboard there are a couple of tiny orange spots on my shift key, reminders of roasted salsa made in the vicinity. I wonder what my mother would think. She died in 1992, and the idea of a computer in the kitchen might seem odd to her. Honestly I think she might have loved it had she had the chance to learn to use it. Like the food processor we gave her. She opened it, didn’t know what it was or what to do with it. Several days later she began to play with it (slicing her hand badly in the process), and then to giggle as she discovered the possibilities. And so my computer sits on my counter or stove or wherever I can fit it at the time, ready to check recipes, substitutions, definitions, but more importantly to inspire me to cook more.
Whoda thunk it?, as my father used to say. I thought I liked to cook a bit growing up, (I won the Home Ec award in 8th grade) and began to enjoy it here and there in my 20’s, although work and socializing took a higher priority then. I remember my first Thanksgiving at my apartment in St. Louis, but that was just after Mother died, so she didn’t know me as a cook. I wonder about all those years of watching her cook, being exposed to foods that my friends had never tried nor thought they ever wanted to try.. Asparagus and avocados, ceviche, almond float, and so much more. I didn’t cook with her much, but must have gotten it through osmosis. And now I am reveling in food and cooking, playing , experimenting, feeding my soul as I feed my stomach.
When we moved to Switzerland I found myself with more time and less time at the same time, which of course makes no sense. With my kids in Swiss school they are at home for lunch each day and I get to plan my days around being at home with them at that time. It can feel like quite an interruption sometimes. And yet, because I am not working or home schooling in the morning, I can for the first time, cook in the morning. Putting my best time of day together with one of the things I love most to do provides great contentment, even joy.
One morning recently, in preparation for a Mexican inspired cooking night with ExpatKochen, I made white corn tortillas and roasted salsa. I was wrapped in beautiful colors, textures, tastes and smells. I rolled the dough into balls, then used my iron skillet (aka tortilla press) to flatten the dough into beautiful round tortillas, complete with the mark from the bottom of my skillet, the same skillet later used to cook the tortillas till slightly golden with tiny brown flecks. The peppers, tomatoes, onions and garlic were beautiful as they went into the pan fresh and full of color, and then beautiful again as they came out softened, golden brown and sweet.
And so I cooked and shopped and planned, all in preparation to gather a lovely group of people together to share the vibrant colors and flavors inspired by Mexico.
And I got to cook in the morning.
