Cooking

I was cooking yesterday and thought to myself how I take my cooking for granted.  Cooking comes naturally to me.  I come from a large family where all of our gatherings revolve around great food and loud music :) I learned how to cook at an early age by watching my mother and my siblings and then by pitching in.  By the time I was seventeen I was cooking entire meals for my friends.

Cooking is something I enjoy and something that I've given little thought about.  It comes naturally. I am only conscious of being healthy, but not of technique.  That comes easily.  It's not until I hear someone say that they can't even boil water that I am blown away.  In most Latin household cooking is a must.  Una mujer buena cocina - a good woman cooks.  Although I am very open minded and consider myself non-judgmental, I must admit that somewhere deep down inside, I turn my nose up on women who don't know how to cook.  Sorry, but I guess I am a bit old fashion when it comes to certain roles.  To me cooking is a necessity, a way to save money, a way to be able to live on a budget whether you are young and single or have a large family.  Cooking is one of the ways that I show my family love. Fresh baked muffins and hot chocolate on a cold morning.  Buttermilk pancakes,  home style hashbrowns, and fresh fruit when my husband comes in from a 24 hour shift. It gives me so much joy that I can't imagine not being able to express myself with food.  My brother-in-law just graduated from Marine Corps bootcamp and my gift to him was a huge homemade meal - everything from spaghetti and meatballs, to fresh baked bread, oatmeal cranberry cookies, and bread pudding with warm toffee sauce.  It made my heart swell seeing him and our entire family who was visiting, enjoy a  meal that I made from scratch that I labored with love.

Anyway, thinking of cooking made me realize that maybe I should blog about certain dishes that I take for granted.  So within the next few days I will try to include some easy recipes that anyone can try and many will enjoy.  Buen Provecho!