Tuesday: The Cornucopia

When you think about the things that make life worth living, isn’t food tops on your list? Sure, sex is good, but fleeting. Most of us don’t have sex three times a day, but we eat AT LEAST three times a day! I love to eat, and it’s a good thing I exercise like I do, or I’d be wearing my food.

Tuesday’s posts will deal with all things edible.  My husband and I are very into the “slow food” movement, which means, essentially, we try to grow as many of our own vegetables as possible, avoid anything processed, and buy unpasteurized milk and grass-fed beef. The “unprocessed food” thing means I have to cook a lot. But I don’t mind! Up until five years ago, I was not a good cook. Now I am.

Here’s the story of how I became an above-average home cook. My husband had a bicycle accident in 2006 and was in the hospital with a brain injury. (It was touch-and-go for awhile, so I don’t want to make light of it.) Anyway, for ten straight days, I was in the hospital room with him almost 24/7. And since he was in a doctor-induced coma and on a respirator for most of that time, I was pretty bored. Daytime television has always disgusted me, but what else was I to do? Eventually, I stumbled across the Food Network. How, you may ask, had I never seen this channel before? I cannot say. But because it seemed to be the only redeeming thing on TV, I watched that channel the entire time I was there. And I learned things!

I learned how to properly brown mushrooms, how to easily make a pie crust using a Cuisinart, how to prepare a decent curry, and how to pass off store-bought stuff as homemade. I adopted a whole new set of heroes—Bobby Flay, Mario Batalli, and that barefoot woman. It was incredible, almost as if I’d taken a semester-long class in cooking. Seriously, 14 hours a day with nothing to do but watch cooking shows seeped into my subconscious. Instead of using recipes now, I use techniques, and make up dishes on the fly. This was unheard of for Teri prior to the accident. If there’s anything good that comes out of having your spouse hospitalized, this is it!

So Tuesday’s postings on the Nest won’t focus on recipes, but rather on ingredients, cookware, techniques, and superior food products I’ve discovered at the supermarket (such as Greek Gods full-fat yogurt—better than ice cream!).  I welcome your comments and suggestions. Next Tuesday I'll have an actual food entry, vs. this introduction. Bon appétit!