Teddy’s Insane Laws For The Kitchen & Cooking - Rule #1

Teddy’s Insane Laws For The Kitchen & Cooking

There Really Is A Method To My Madness

If you are visiting "Help! I Have A Fire In My Kitchen", it means you are either a brave soul, a foolhardy person, a glutton for punishment or just curious. Curiosity killed the cat, but I bet that cat had a great deal of fun being curious. And no, my recipes will not kill you, nor make you sick, thank you very much. So over the next few days I will post one at a time, some tried and true rules for staying sane in the kitchen and for cooking, learned over a period of time while making many, (may I repeat that word please?), many mistakes. So let us get down to Rule #1 of Teddy's Insane Rules For The Kitchen & Cooking.

Rule No One

A Greater, More Noble Purpose Is Served Via The Kitchen

If you are trying to be a Gourmet Cook, buy a gourmet cookbook or take a good cooking class. Remember, we are trying to feed ourselves and our children with good food that with a bit of luck, they will like and ask for again. We also want to be able to entertain, and yes, single parents are allowed to entertain. This means opening the house to entertain for a party or on the Sabbath, without having to cringe and purchase everything at the corner deli or gourmet food takeout store. I do not mean some lavish home party, though if you have the will and desire, you will be able to give a fairly lavish party as well. It also does not only mean entertaining a date or possible future spouse with a dish or two for a one-time effort. Rather, we are referring to the possibility that your children and their friends will want to spend time at your house, even when it comes time for lunch or dinner. You will not find them asking you to dish out some money to go eat at the mall or begging you to order in some junk food. They will have trust in you and your cooking.

Believe it or not, pizza and burgers can only be served so many times before everyone just gets sick at the thought of having to eat it yet again. When my fifth child was born (before I knew where the kitchen was) and my ex-wife was in the hospital, we had pizza for two days. Then the party was over. The third day, my oldest son, having been appointed spokesman for the clan, marched up to me and said:

“We want supper, and please no more pizza.”

‘Out of the mouth of babes’, as they say. I did not take the hint then of course, it took many more years to sink in, but then again there is no greater impetus to learn something new, then having to learn it. At that time I had no idea how to make rice or spaghetti. So if memory serves me correctly we did Tuna sandwiches, (something I am quite good at!) That is really what this book is all about. Cooking good meals has many positive sides, but the most rewarding of them is your relationship with the kids. Even when the food does not come out right, even when they just cannot eat a thing, they still know you tried and most important they know you care.

Help! I Have A Fire In My Kitchen
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Comments

Deborah Dowd said…
Teddy,
Thanks for the mention in your post and I hope you will visit my cyber kitchen table as I now will yours! I just started reading some of your rules (I hope to get the time to read all of them soon) and I think you are my Jewish alter-ego!

Your family is very lucky, and we are too, since you have invited us in!

Deborah
Ted Gross said…
Deborah...

Thanks for all you wrote, and it was my pleasure to mention your blog Play With Food.

Come by and visit and I certainly will visit your blog, as the readers here will too I hope.

And of course, any stories and recipes you want to share..just send them in an email. I love to read and publish them!

Teddy

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