A Chef in the Making

Who would have thought that at the ripe old age of eighty-eight, I would have to learn how to cook.

I remember the lovely meals that my dear wife, sadly no longer here, used to prepare and wonder how I can possibly replicate that gastronomic quality.

A recent TV cookery programme featured some inexperienced celebrities competing against each other and were doing rather well.

I thought that if they could do it, so could I. It couldn't be all that difficult.

It had been suggested to me to search the web as it was a good source for food recipes.

No sooner said than done; I went into a frenzied chase for culinary ideas that didn't test my brain too much.

The realisation that I had jumped in at the deep end hit me right away. I was coming across terms that might have been familiar to Mrs. Beeton but unknown to me. For instance, what was a skillet when it was at home? Or a trivet?

I knew that I had to go back to the drawing board. It was imperative to acquaint myself with the necessary implements of a would-be Escoffier.

I wasn't a complete nincompoop and knew most of the utensils lying in various drawers of the kitchen but  I was vague about some of the terms used in cookery books, such as: baster, beanpot, chinois, egg piercer, Baton Lélé, mandoline, roller docker and spider.

Also, some of the instructions that the gourmet gurus give us are unclear. What is it meant by a medium temperature?
I have an induction hob with heat settings from 0 to 14, so I automatically assume it to be 6 or 7 but find that on occasion it is too high.

And, when they say 1/3 of a cup, how big is the cup? You see my problem.

When my children were young I was a fountain of knowledge; now the shoe is on the other foot and they are the ones explaining to me things that baffle me sometimes. How to set up and use a smartphone, for instance, or, in this particular case, how to be self-sufficient in regard to food.

They have supplied me with simple recipes for a single person, with precise directions on ingredients and methods and advised me to batch-cooking.

I've already made giant steps and am proud of my homemade soups and lamb stews.

It's true that one can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs because I  can't fry one without breaking it and end up having to scramble it.

© Luigi Pagano 2023