An Old Dog Learns a New {Cooking} Trick
By Laura Del Guerra, RD, CDE, Take Control Health Coach
When you become a dietitian, many people assume that it comes with some type of culinary certification. I’m living proof that this is not true! I learned to cook as a kid by the “Love, Mom” method – a note on the counter after school with a recipe to start for dinner, signed, “Love, Mom.”
The first time I saw this type of note from my mom, I was so excited. My best friend, Carol Utter, had the coolest mom ever. Her mom wrote a note on a napkin every day and left it in her lunch bag. I’d mentioned this to my mom, hoping for something similar. So when I walked into our kitchen after school and saw a note, I thought for sure it was the note I’d been longing for. And it was, kind of, for there was a note, along with a recipe. She had written something like, “Laura, please start making this at 4:30. Don’t get your tsps. and tbsp. mixed up. Love, Mom.” Therein began my cooking lessons.
I’m not sure if it was because it started as a chore, or if it is because I’ve always worked full time and tried to keep up with a growing family. But cooking has only ever been a means to an end for me. It’s not something I’ve ever loved and I’ve always wanted dinner to be done in 30 minutes or less. I’d become the master of quick utilitarian cooking for the past 20 years.
Recently I grew tired of the same old thing, and I was intrigued by the ads I’ve been seeing for all of the new meal kit delivery services. Hello Fresh, Plated, and Blue Apron to name a few. Lured by a free meal offer, I ordered 3 trial dinners and looked forward to the first box’s arrival. It was a highly anticipated day in the office as well. Since our jobs revolve around food and nutrition, everyone was curious to inspect its contents. In a word, it was remarkable. All fresh ingredients, packaged into three individual boxes with recipes included. It took the ‘Love, Mom’ method to a whole new level!
The night I cooked the first meal was like getting ready for a first date. Should I put on an apron? Where is my good knife? For the first time in my life I was going to practice “mise en place!” (A French phrase that means to gather and arrange the ingredients and tools needed for cooking. In this case, I took them out of the box and lined them up.) Thirty minutes later I served Seared Provençal Steak. It was incredible! Like eating at a fancy restaurant without the fancy price. I’m pretty sure the kids would have thought it was take out if they had not watched me cook.
What made this meal so incredible was its taste. Or to keep with the National Nutrition Month® theme, flavor. The spices, seasonings, and herbs were perfectly chosen and blended to enhance the natural flavor of the food. I seared the steak. Who would have thought you could do more than bake or brown meat!
I’ve been using the service for a few months now, and I’ve learned that quick doesn’t have to be tasteless. It’s been an eye opening experience when it comes to flavor. Using fresh herbs and combining complex flavors has revolutionized my opinion of cooking. Now I’m inspired to look at recipes, look at their ingredients, and begin to understand the connections to flavor. Since learning more about flavors, I’ve started trying new foods that I wouldn’t have in the past.
In the past, “quick” was the most important thing I looked for in a recipe, now “flavor” is the most important thing. Not only am I enjoying food more, I’m actually eating less. I am slowing down to enjoy the taste of it, the flavor. I’m cooking, and, for the first time, enjoying that too. I haven’t dug out my frilly apron yet, but …. never say never!