The day before yesterday Baby Girl said she wanted to prepare dinner from start to finish. I was stunned, and thrilled that it actually happened! She wanted to cook.
Many years ago when she started Middle School I decided to spend the next 3 summers teaching her to cook. I was enthusiastic, and so excited to pass the whisk, and wooden spoon onto my daughter. I had visions of her going off to college with the confidence that in the kitchen at least there would be no test or final exam to prep for. It was a flop!
She was not interested in the least. She complained and stalled and made it so awful that I gave up the idea the first summer and vowed not to bring it up again. I would wait for the day she asked for help.

Many summers have passed, and she elected to stay home for college rather than go away. Finally the day arrived!
I answered with caution when she asked, “ What should I cook?” “What ever you’d like.” I replied trying not to sound too excited. When she said she had no clue. I offered her my very first cookbook. Betty Crocker- the one with the Orange cover. Now stained, notes written on nearly every page, and a quarter of the pages falling out. “This was my first cookbook. I got it when I was just 19 year old.  Look through the main dishes you may find something there.”
She took the book and with a shy smile began turning the pages. “Mom you really should get sheet protectors for these pages.” Baby Girl said as the page for Italian Spaghetti and Lasagna slid out of the book.  She read the page and said she’d like to try Spaghetti with the meat sauce with a question on her face. I said, “Great. Let’s see what we need!” Together we went through the list of ingredients, then the pantry and made a shopping list.
This morning we went to the market together and shopped. It was fun showing her how to pick a good bell pepper from an old one, and good onion, and she chose her own brand of pasta. We engaged the butcher to teach her the different grades of ground beef, and lingered over the cheese counter and talked about Romano and Parmesan.
We unpacked our purchases and planned what to prepare first. Opting for the brownies.  We went simple here and utilized Betty again. Baby Girl picked Fudge Brownie mix. She put it together with ease.

Copyright © 2010 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.
Next I showed her how to chop the bell pepper, and onion, and to sharpen the knife, to stir, and blend, and smell the herbs as we went. She’s afraid of my gas stove and the noise it makes when it lights. So I turned on the burner for the sauce. One hurdle she’s not ready to jump.
She watched  the sauce simmer, carefully watching the time, and stirring it carefully. She got the water for pasta started so it would be finished when the sauce was then worried about getting the Garlic Bread started and in the oven so it too would be done on time.
Once the sauce was on she didn’t need me much. She was in the “zone”. It was fun to watch.
The sauce was wonderful, the pasta cooked just right, and the bread that came out a bit late was fattening, warm, and delicious-well worth the wait.

A milestone was crossed today, and a hurdle jumped. She turned on the burner for the pasta water without me. Middle school and so many summers later… I passed the whisk.

Copyright © 2010 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.

Nikon D300s, Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8 AF-S, Sundisk Ultra SDHC Digital Film