As a cook, what would the current you say to the old you?

I'm in that spot right now. I want to cook, and do new things... but motivation is low these cold winter days. Hopefully my old self would be smart enough not to try to jolly me out of this (hopefully temporary) mode.
One thing I do to stay out of a rut is to pick a cookbook at random then open a page at random and cook whatever the recipe is. I also discipline myself not to allow any of my favourite books to be used.
 
Along the lines of TR's post about his mother's menus, when our DD was a teen she had a best friend who was at our house a lot and vice versa. Craig and I even then were always trying new dishes and not having repeats often. The BF made a comment about how lucky DD was that she got to eat different things all the time, then went on to explain that her mother had the same menu every week, with the same dishes on the same night every single week, other than holiday meals. She also went on to say that she didn't understand how DD could gripe about always having something different. That comment got her a "if looks could kill" look from DD. LOL!
 
I wonder if you felt like that was just hte way the world is back then, but now you are thinking, hm, where is all the other food
When I was a kid and into my teens (let's say mid-1970's to mid-1980's), there was nowhere near the variety available now.
Kroger is our big major grocer here, and the closest one to us then was a well-stocked one, because it happened to be in an upscale university town, and back then, there wasn't anything like what we have available now, in terms of international foods, variety of cheeses, the selection of even fruit & veg and meats are much improved.
These days, I live somewhat rurally, and the closest Kroger is a small one, and what I have available now, just from that small store, is amazing, compared to 40 years ago. European cheeses, British teas and sweets, biscuits/cookies from all over the world, bison, etc. Yet, I do still have difficulty find other things. We always want more, more, more. :)

One thing I do to stay out of a rut is to pick a cookbook at random then open a page at random and cook whatever the recipe is.
I'll do something similar, where I'll grab a cookbook and say, "Everything this week is coming from this."

then went on to explain that her mother had the same menu every week, with the same dishes on the same night every single week
Remember when Mrs. C. on Happy Days had Pork Chop Night and Meatloaf Night and Pot Roast Night ("...with those little baby potatoes!")? :)
 
I'd say today, that I'm still a bloody lunatic who believes that my intellectual and spiritual presence are the most important things in my life. Loose a toe, a leg or arm? Who cares, I can still think and realize the world around me sanely (for a lunatic) and in a rational way, free of manipulation and brain fogging.

But after being a CBer, I can now claim to be able to cook - some things, if not others.

What more could I possibly want to say to myself?
 
Really? What was your eating tradition while growing up?
(When you said you were from New Zealand, I thought of two things: first, it was supposed to be my honeymoon destination (it never was), second, I loved Annabel Langbein's TV cooking show, she made such good use and reuse of food components, and had the most amazing garden ever, it really looked like a reflection of paradise on Earth, she grew a lot of vegetables, and me growing up in a city, in a flat, it was stunning, and still is to see a person walk out the door, into a garden, pick ingredients and cook, really like a fairy tale) :) ...

That's pretty much how we are here, wife has an awesome garden. We are able to eat anything we want.from cheap to expensive. Annabel does the one thing that ps me off with chefs or cooks, include their f ing families. I can't stand her.
Back to my upbringing, we were raised in a state house, government supplied cheaper. Mum raised 3 boys. So things were cheap cuts of meat , lots of offal and grandparents helped a lot. I'm not complaining, hell it made me tougher. I still love cheap comfort food.

Russ
 
I go through the winter blues every year around January-February. I take meds for anxiety and OCD year-around, but January-February are the months I actually feel some degree of depression. It's not severe, I can still do what I need to do, but it does have an effect on my desire to cook more than necessary.

On the plating subject, there are some people (Morning Glory) who find plating to be an enjoyable creative outlet. Other people don't care what their food looks like, it's all about the cooking and eating. I'm sort of in the middle. If I make something I want to share on an online forum, I will try to make it look nice on the plate, and take time to make a nice photograph (although I don't put as much effort into the photograph as I could). Plating is just not a natural talent for me, and haven't been motivated to focus on doing it better.

CD

I have the same thing with winter, I actually hate winter. I've experienced a bout of depression so I know where you are coming from. I was on amatriptolene, sp? After 6 months I was back to normal. Chemical imbalance sorted. I have Diazapan for blue days, thankfully it's been a long time since I needed one. I just need to think positive in winter.

Russ
 
Along the lines of TR's post about his mother's menus, when our DD was a teen she had a best friend who was at our house a lot and vice versa. Craig and I even then were always trying new dishes and not having repeats often. The BF made a comment about how lucky DD was that she got to eat different things all the time, then went on to explain that her mother had the same menu every week, with the same dishes on the same night every single week, other than holiday meals. She also went on to say that she didn't understand how DD could gripe about always having something different. That comment got her a "if looks could kill" look from DD. LOL!

When I started high school (12/13 ish) I met a new friend, after about a few months I stayed over one night, I grew up with weet bix, covered in milk, EVERYDAY. I woke up to a world I never had seen before, my friends dad walked into the bedroom, and said, bacon n eggs on toast ok Russell?
Who has cooked breakfaste? People that have money. Hell I loved it being treated like a hotel guest. I didn't have to do the dishes either, I stayed there quite a bit. Mr and Mrs Harris only passed away in last 10 years. I learnt a lot from mr Harris.

Russ
 
I grew up with weet bix, covered in milk, EVERYDAY.
Here was a typical breakfast I grew up with, seven days a week:

Eggs, fried or scrambled
Bacon and sausage (patties)
(American) Biscuits and gravy
Fried potatoes
Sliced tomatoes (in season)
Sliced raw onion
Fruit pie

Occasionally, Mom would add pancakes to that, and occasionally, if there was fried chicken the night before, then she'd also heat that up and put that out as well, or a couple of pork chops.

We didn't have money, but we had food.
 
Here was a typical breakfast I grew up with, seven days a week:

Eggs, fried or scrambled
Bacon and sausage (patties)
(American) Biscuits and gravy
Fried potatoes
Sliced tomatoes (in season)
Sliced raw onion
Fruit pie

Occasionally, Mom would add pancakes to that, and occasionally, if there was fried chicken the night before, then she'd also heat that up and put that out as well, or a couple of pork chops.

We didn't have money, but we had food.

We had neither money nor good food. We never went hungry, but lived on saveloys and beans on toast. I'm not complaining, just there are differences. Not having stuff but now I can have anything I want. I think I mentioned ages ago I never went into a restaurant until I was around 18. I had money then working two jobs.
My breakfast as a kid was three weet bix milk and if I got up first, the top part of the milk with cream on the top. I'd break the cap off two bottles to get the cream. I had a good life compared to some around me growing up. Families of 6 and 7 kids all around me.

Russ
 
We had neither money nor good food.
Directly the benefit of growing up on a farm. We fed a 10-person family and not only did no one ever go hungry, there was more than enough, and it was good, fresh, homegrown food.

No money, though. My dad used to smear mud on the vehicle license plate because we couldn't always afford the registration when it came due. I remember getting made fun of at school because my school shoes had rubber bands around them to hold the soles on. :laugh:

In 9th grade (14yo, first year of high school), I took my own money and bought a pair of Nike sneakers/trainers/tenna shoes because I wasn't going to start off high school getting made fun of again.

$40US, which Google says is about $130 in today's money. I thought my dad was going to kill me. Not figuratively, but literally. He was so angry, he beat me nearly unconscious for throwing away money on shoes. Nobody made fun of me for my shoes, though! :laugh:

Always spoiled for food, though.
 
Directly the benefit of growing up on a farm. We fed a 10-person family and not only did no one ever go hungry, there was more than enough, and it was good, fresh, homegrown food.

No money, though. My dad used to smear mud on the vehicle license plate because we couldn't always afford the registration when it came due. I remember getting made fun of at school because my school shoes had rubber bands around them to hold the soles on. :laugh:

In 9th grade (14yo, first year of high school), I took my own money and bought a pair of Nike sneakers/trainers/tenna shoes because I wasn't going to start off high school getting made fun of again.

$40US, which Google says is about $130 in today's money. I thought my dad was going to kill me. Not figuratively, but literally. He was so angry, he beat me nearly unconscious for throwing away money on shoes. Nobody made fun of me for my shoes, though! :laugh:

Always spoiled for food, though.

And it made you into the fine man you are today. We all luv ya. :)

Russ
 
I'd say today, that I'm still a bloody lunatic who believes that my intellectual and spiritual presence are the most important things in my life. Loose a toe, a leg or arm? Who cares, I can still think and realize the world around me sanely (for a lunatic) and in a rational way, free of manipulation and brain fogging.

But after being a CBer, I can now claim to be able to cook - some things, if not others.

What more could I possibly want to say to myself?
I totally admire your mental strength. I have heard a lot of excellent podcasts with veterans like you in the last year or so, and I can only verbalize my deepest respect. I think brain fogging is really getting us nowhere, so thumbs up. My boyfriend is facing depression and anxiety as he faces neck surgery, and we shall see what comes out of there. I try to stay positive, as positive is the only way I can live work and function. I am so happy I have met you here.
 
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