“Cooking is like Love, It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.” ~Nigella Lanson
Prep for Beef Stew... So Yummy on a Winter Day!
For special occasions like Valentine’s Day, most couples (and singles) like to go out and eat, or perhaps cook a romantic meal at home. However, this is like any other day at The Daily Texlahoman, as Jason and I are both obsessed with food--shopping for it, preaparing it, and consuming it. In honor of our mutual hobby, here is a tribute to something we love, COOKING!
It’s a wonder we are not great tubs of lard with how much we like to cook, eat out, and try new foods. I tend to be more of a health fanatic than Jason, but that will not stop me from having a cookie or making a heaping pot of shrimp fettucine alfredo. My theory? Try to eat healthy, but still enjoy some modest treats, and exercise to make up for it (Thank you Zumba!).
Jason's Deviled Eggs
As we enter our sixth month of Dallas-hood, out of all things we have explored, grocery stores tops the list. Texas has a lot more variety when it comes to food shopping (Sorry, OK Homeland). You could even consider us experts on where to go for the lowest prices, top notch produce, mouthwatering meats, and most unique selection. Down here, we’ve been to Tom Thumb (who hasn’t?? they’re on every corner!), Kroger, Albertson’s, and Central Market, in addition to tiny specialty places like Farmer’s Market, and Vietnamese and Mexican markets (bring your translator).
Attention Okies!! You’ve got to hustle over to a Central Market!! Based upon the growing trend of organic, healthy, natural living, they truly have everything, and their style of display and marketing makes for a truly unique shopping experience! Plus, some of their prices really aren’t too bad for being “all natural” and the high level of quality you receive. Meat counters with shrimp as big as your hand... Foods you’ve only heard of in cookbooks or on television... Fruits and veggies that look like they were fresh picked... Aisles of coffee beans, spices, nuts, and beans that are poured from dispensers as if they were candy... free samples at every turn. It’s the IKEA of grocery shopping!
“Good painting is like good cooking; It can be tasted, but not explained.” ~Maurice de Vlaminck (side note-- de Vlaminck is a Fauvist painter I did a project on once)
Aside from my love affair with Central Market, we both like to cook, but Jason is the primary chef in the apartment. Cooking is one of those things that gets him stirred up and happy, making him grin ear to ear like a little boy. My personal favorites are his salsa and tortellini soup. As an instinctive chef, he throws ingredients together and creates dishes off the top of his head, without using exact measurements or recipes or books. He just knows how to do it, and he loves to present it artfully on a plate. He makes everyday home cooking fun to eat. I’ll never understand how he does it, but I won’t complain.
Simple Yet Beautiful and Delicious!
“I liked the energy of cooking, the action, the camaraderie. I often compare the kitchen to sports and compare the chef to a coach. There are a lot of similarities to it.” ~Todd English
On the contrary, I am more of a recipe following, timer setting, measuring kind of cook (Surprise!). But I love to make homemade things from scratch, especially if it is something passed down from my grandmother. Red beans and rice without Zatarain’s? No prob. Fettucine alfredo with homestyle sauce? You got it! Stew meat Chili that could win an award? Definitely! However, my time at the stove is limited because Jason tends to be a kitchen hog. The first time I tried to cook him spaghetti and Italian sausage meatballs, I asked for a little help and he ended up cooking the entire meal! And the other day, I had to post this sign above the range:
My Sweet Love Note :)
Since he wouldn’t let me do anything on the actual day of, I wanted to cook him something special for his birthday. I set out to make salmon patties, herb roasted potatoes, and green beans (from a couple recipes, of course). If he wasn’t peering over the countertop to coach me, he was at the kitchen’s edge, asking if he could help. Pushing him out, threatening him with a potato peeler, and even barricading the walkway did not prevent him from wanting to join the action. It was all in good fun though, and he ate every morsel of his birthday dinner.
Beef Stew!
“There is no spectacle on Earth more appealing than that of a beautiful woman in the act of cooking dinner for someone she loves.” ~Tom Wolfe (side note--one of my fave authors)
Nonetheless, cooking and food is a shared passion for us and has created some fun memories so far. After all, if you’re gonna eat, you might as well enjoy it, right?
In future posts, we hope to share some of our favorite meals and recipes. But for now, enjoy Valentine’s Day and whether it’s breakfast in bed, a sack lunch, or a candlelit dinner...be fearlessly creative and whip up something special for your love (even if it’s for your dog)!
Bon Appetit!!
