Kitchenizing
From Leann, the Prattling Pastor’s Wife.
1. How many meals does most of your family eat at home each week? How many are in your family?
With Amy away at college, most of the time it’s just Ken and I at home. We eat most of our weekday meals at home. I set aside time to cook dinner on Wednesday and Sunday evenings.
2. How many cookbooks do you own?
Too many to count. I have a shelf downstairs near the kitchen for the most-consulted volumes. And another shelf upstairs for cookbooks that are just beautiful, meant for research or just to be read.
3. How often do you refer to a cookbook each week?
At least once a week.
4. Do you collect recipes from other sources?
I also collect recipes from the Food Network, other places on the Web and from friends.
5. How do you store those recipes?
I have a file folder they go into. I’d like to create a loose-leaf notebook with all of my dialysis-friendly recipes organized by type … but I haven’t done anything to bring that about.
6. When you cook, do you follow the recipe pretty closely, or do you use recipes primarily to give you ideas?
The first time I try a recipe, I’ll follow it closely. As I get more comfortable I make substitutions.
7. Is there a particular ethnic style or flavor that predominates in your cooking?
Probably Italian or Mediterranean.
8. What’s your favorite kitchen task related to meal planning and preparation?
The actual preparation itself, the chopping, assembly and cooking.
9. What’s your least favorite part?
Cleaning up, of course.
10. Do you plan menus before you shop?
Usually.
11. What are your three favorite kitchen tools or appliances?
My KitchenAid mixer, my Microplane, my 7-inch santoku knife
12. If you could buy one new thing for your kitchen, money was no object and space was not an issue, what would you most like to have?
A large butcher-block cutting board
13. Since money and space probably are objects, what are you most likely to buy next?
I have no idea, since there’s nothing I really need or want right now.
14. Do you have a separate freezer for storage?
No, and with only two of us in the house, the freezer section of the fridge is plenty.
15. Grocery shop alone or with others?
Usually shop with Ken. We divide and conquer, getting the shopping done fairly quickly. I send him off to the butcher counter while I do the little things.
16. How many meatless main dish meals do you fix in a week?
None. Mostly because my diet requires protein at every meal and the sources of protein I am allowed to have are meat, fish, poultry and eggs. Sometimes when Ken is out of town, I'll have breakfast for dinner, meaning eggs in some form.
17. If you have a decorating theme in your kitchen, what is it?
No theme. My kitchen has white cupboards, a light oak hardwood floor, yellow and white stripes above the cupboards, black appliances except for the white refrigerator.
18. What’s the first thing you ever learned to cook, and how old were you?
Probably grilled cheese sandwiches. I also remember baking a cherry pie for my dad. I was probably 12 or 13 at the time.
19. How did you learn to cook?
By trial and error. I probably didn’t cook regularly until I was first married. At that time, I relied on cookbooks like Craig Claiborne's Gourmet Diet and the 60-minute Gourmet cookbooks by Pierre Franey. I still use some favorites from those early reliables. Before that, Mom would sometimes have me start dinner before she came home from work, but it would be simple stuff like spaghetti and meat sauce.
20. Tag two (OK, three) other people to play.
Jen of Lintefiniel Musing
Jane of Across the Flow
The Summa Mamas
I am so glad you did this - very fun to read!!! Thanks for linking me, too... (((HUG)))
Posted by: Leann | February 27, 2006 at 07:32 PM
I have posted and tagged four. You will see I am not an enthusiastic cook although I love to eat which is one reason I dare not persue imaginative cooking. This is possible because Hubby likes to cook. Thanks for the tag. I hope you enjoy my treatment of it.
Posted by: Across the Flow | March 02, 2006 at 01:18 PM