Most of us have different relationships with food as we go through life.
In the 1930s, I wasn’t fussy since there wasn’t always much to choose from. In the late ’40s, after I got a job, I discovered Coke and cheese crackers. In the ’50s, I started eating other people’s food and dining in restaurants. I discovered many different foods. In the ’60s, circumstances created a reason for me to learn to cook.
After asking my mother and aunt how to cook, a friend recommended Betty Crocker’s “New Dinner for Two” cookbook. That’s when I realized I could “mentally taste.” The more I learned, the more I understood flavors and so on. And, that’s when I heard the expression, “Some people eat to live while others live to eat.” I’m the latter!
I love cooking. It’s creative and satisfying. I also like to taste other’s cooking. Although I’m not a fan of exotic foods and so-called new flavors, I enjoy simple traditional dishes. My interest is in creating a different flavor with something traditional. Just a little nudge sometimes improves a “standard” dish. For example, Patti and I like leftover mashed potatoes turned into potato cakes. Recently, I mixed finely chopped onion into the leftovers, then fried them slowly in a little olive oil in a covered skillet. They developed a golden crust and were the best I’ve made.
I also like tasting foods when we travel. Recently, we visited an antiques show in Berks County. There was a lunchroom with the “usual” hot dogs and burgers. But they also had soup. the broccoli/cheddar, which was incredibly good, had no broccoli taste. Instead, it was a thick soup that tasted like cheddar, although I could identify carrot pieces because of their color and bits of bacon. If they’re there next year, I’ll try to get the recipe.
Enjoy, be safe, and Go Phillies!
If you have suggestions or questions for this column, please contact me either through this newspaper at www.buckscountyherald.com or directly at guthrielarason@verizon.net.
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