I grew up in a family that rarely ate out. In some ways, it was dumb luck. My parents wanted dishes from the old country so the only option was to do-it-yourself. The rhythms of the kitchen – the tuck, tuck of steel on wood, snap of hot oil, gush of water – perpetually played in the background and I soaked it all up.
I moved in and out of many apartments once I left home. Most of the kitchens were tiny and outdated, but they grounded and delighted me and on the worst days offered the comfort of a protective womb. Thanks to my mom’s example, I rejected the silly notion that cooking was costly and burdensome. I ate more happily and healthfully than most people I knew.
For me, cooking has always been critical to self-care. It allows me to avoid monstrous portions. I control the fat, the oil, the salt. But that’s not the real reason I spend so much time in the kitchen. I cook because I want to indulge in the flavors of seasonal produce and other fine ingredients every day. As a singleton, I have never bought into the idea that cooking for one is a waste of time.
I’ve learned through my classes (and the longing looks I get when toting baked good on public transportation), that fewer and fewer people know how to chop vegetables, cream butter, and peel shrimp. I have experienced the joy of cooking for so many years and the realization pains me.
A year ago, I approached an editor at Whole Foods Cooking with the idea of writing a column on basic cooking techniques with illustrative photographs. She bit and we began a very fulfilling collaboration to coax people back into the kitchen. Below I’ve compiled links to all of the entries to date to share with readers at Cardamom Kitchen.
FRUIT
VEGETABLES
AROMATICS
DAIRY
EGGS
MEAT, POULTY, LEGUMES
GRAINS
SEAFOOD
OTHER
