The other day, I got an email from the representative of a local food event that basically suggested (reading between the lines) that she did not think this particular event would be interesting or valuable to me or my readers, (translation: your readers probably don’t often indulge in the kind of highfalutin cuisine we are highlighting at our fancy-pants soiree) as I am “just a home cook” and likewise, my readers are “just home cooks.” On first glance, I didn’t even pause to think about it, but a few days have passed, and her words are now scratching the edges of my brain like cat claws on a chalkboard.
Just a home cook. “Just.” It’s that one little word that changes everything for me. I am a Home Cook. And proud of it. Long before I was a Home Cook, I was a restaurant line cook for a short time, and I’ll tell you, keeping ten or fifteen orders in your head and on the heat pales in comparison to feeding a hungry family every night, night after night, trying to keep the menu fresh week after week after week.
Mr. B and I are both huge fans of Master Chef, a competitive cooking reality show, open to amateur and home chefs, hosted by a kinder, gentler version of Hell’s Kitchen’s Gordon Ramsey. (Mr. B loves Hell’s Kitchen too; me, not so much – all that beeping hurts my ears.) Over the course of the last few seasons, we have seen some pretty amazing “amateurs” create beautiful, world class food; their only formal culinary training being the experience they gained in their mothers’ kitchens.
Home cooks. We taste, we test, we develop, and we get better and better. It is all about confidence and a desire to learn. A few of us even go on to become food writers, because we want to share the joy we find in our kitchens with others. Because every so often while we are experimenting, a switch flips, and we understand the science of something completely new, and for us that is a wonderful moment. I still remember the day as a child that I learned how to make perfect gravy – thick, smooth and silky – and more importantly, I understood why it happened and how to repeat it! It was nothing short of an epiphany for me.
As home cooks, many of us parents, we create amid chaos, and still find great joy in making something delicious and wonderful to share with the people we love. That is what home cooking is all about. And that is not just anything.
From my Grandmother’s copy of “The United Farm Women of Alberta Cookbook,” 1928:
“Cooking is a science put into practical use. The wise cook knows and applies the principles of science upon which the health and welfare of her household depends. She selects the foods necessary for health and combines them in dishes and meals which tempt the palate and give variety and zest to her meals. She is indeed an artist, for the result of her work is a symphony of life in which all parts of the body, furnished with the foods needed for their functions, play together to produce the harmonious crescendo of ‘an abundant life.'” (Mrs. Vera MacDonald)
Healthy and delicious homecooked meals are a challenging and worthy use of our time. I find inspiration lots of places – cooking shows, magazines, ethnic foods, and even fancy restaurants. I’m a scientist, an artist, an economist, a manager, a teacher, a tinkerer, and even occasionally a bit of a witch. But I’ve never thought of myself as “just” a cook.
Thank you, Sarah – your last line sums up beautifully the sentiments so many of us have.
On another note, it’s good to discover another sourdough baker! 🙂 Going to try out those pancakes this week!
Oh boy… this is right up there with that comment made by Martha Stewart a few weeks ago! It irks me that some people are so narrow minded about “home cooks and bloggers”. I know some professionals in the trade that quite frankly suck at there job. Degrees and professional training do not make you some expert…. time and hands on experience make you an expert. It’s that ladies loss for not having you and your readers at her soirée 😉
I almost included Martha’s comment, but figured that has already gotten enough play this week, so left it to others.
Thank you, from a fellow home cook.
Thank you for the support, Bill. We are all in the kitchen together, right?
Only a few minutes have passed since I read her comment, and it is irking me! I just don’t understand what the rationale is. Food is one of the great unifiers- across cultures and religions and ages. I’ve had terrible fights where I couldn’t even continue being in the same room… but as much as I wanted to just go home and have alone time, we followed through on our plans to have dinner, and amazing food brought us back together and went a long way in repairing the shouting that had occurred just a few hours ago.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a home cook or professional, whether the ingredients are from a can or gourmet market or even unique to a specific place in the world- I think it can all be interesting and valuable, particularly the more so that it’s completely new information and we can learn. I don’t get it.
I appreciate your passion, Pech. Especially your comment the unifying nature of food. I think it’s safe to say that, as food bloggers, we have more things that unify than separate us. (Speaking of which, I’d love to go on an adventure with you one of these days!)
As if we don’t all doubt ourselves enough in our constant experimenting! It’s fun to be exposed to different settings and cuisine. Those opportunities can push each of us in different creative directions and are totally worth it. I’m sure she was well-intentioned, just not aware of how much food can bring us all together. Home cooks rock!!