Have you ever walked into a kitchen store or cooking store (like, say, Sur la Table or Williams Sonoma) and thought "what the hell is that" or "really, what does THAT do"? Me neither. I walk in and it's like coming home. I want to hug everything I see. I want to wrap my arms around stand mixers and cuddle with aprons like a nap blanket. I want to sit in a corner and read a cookbook from cover to cover and then make at least ONE item from the section clearly marked "Desserts" or "Roasting". From the moment I walk in the smell envelopes my lungs and it reminds me of a comforting place. A place where I am safe and warm and can do (pretty much) no wrong. I love a good kitchen store.
What I love even more is walking out with a new "toy". Going to the wall of gadgets and looking at a lemon bird, cherry pitter or strawberry huller (of course I own them all don't be ridiculous) and thinking immediately that I need to bake a tarte or a galette*. Wait, this isn't normal? I love the idea of a new toy or a new bottle of vanilla - I'm a simple girl. But my absolute favorite kitchen gadget is the whisk. It's even a joy to say. Pucker your lips, puff out your cheeks, smile and say it - WHHHIIISSSK - it just slips through the teeth like a whisper. A soft promise of light and fluffy whipped cream or a thick rich Béchamel sauce. Mmmmmm. Yuuuummmm.
Oh, sorry, I drifted off for a moment dreaming of a whipped cream cloud.
Where were we? Oh, right - whhhhiiisssk. This may seem like a simple item, and in theory it is, but there are several varieties of these seemingly easy tools and they have different uses. Can you use ONE style of whisk for almost everything? Sure you can - but what fun is THAT? Why wouldn't you want a plethora of choices? French whisks (my personal favorite), ball whisks, bedspring coil whisks, birch whisks, spiral whisks, and flat whisks - oh my! Would my Grandmother have used any of these? Probably not. She probably would have just pulled out a fork, but this is the 21st Century people - grab a whisk and start creating! Join the revolution! Viva la Revolution!
*Galette (word of the day) - Galette is a term used in French cuisine to designate various types of flat, round or freeform crusty cakes.
So here's the thing - I love food. Yes, I know other people SAY they love food and I'm sure they do, but I LOVE FOOD! I was raised in a kitchen (ok, not really, but it sounds good doesn't it). I'm Sicilian (not Italian - yes there is a difference) and my Grandfather was always in the kitchen cooking one wonderful tomato covered dish or another and while unfortunately he never actually TAUGHT me how to cook, I watched him and I learned. This is actually how I learn everything - I watch. I take it all in and I see how others do things and then I adapt it and make it my own. This is also how I cook. This is how everyone should cook. Watch. Learn. Taste. Experiment. Sometimes it will work, and sometimes it won't. Sometimes you will end up laying in the middle of the kitchen floor crying hysterically as someone stands over you asking if you are alright and why the meatloaf is in the trashcan (or so I've heard). Don't be afraid. DON'T BE AFRAID. Think outside of your comfort zone. Oh sure, I have my favorite stand by classic recipes, ones that I have developed over the years and if you are lucky I might share with you as we travel along this culinary road together, knife and fork in hand, but there is more to be found. More to be savored - more food to cook, eat and share. Food is how I show my affection towards others - my fondness for them. If I have made you cookies, a cake, dinner or some sort of edible item which made your eyes big and your waist bigger, then I love you. There. I said it and I meant it. So as we get to know each other and our mutual fondness grows, you will begin to see the layers which make me . . . well . . . me. Layers. Like an onion. Or a parfait. Because (say it with me kids) everybody loves a parfait!
