Gourmets and cooking-show
fanatics will shake their heads at this post, but I must share the story of the
first dinner I cooked for my boyfriend (now my husband of many years). We were
sophomores in college and had only been dating for several months. Yet, somehow
we both knew this was the one. Keep
in mind, any time my mom tried to teach me to cook I would run in the other
direction. Even chemistry homework appealed more than anything in the kitchen. But
when Ken asked me to fix him dinner during Christmas vacation, what did I say?
Sure, why not? After all, how hard could it be? I packed all the ingredients from
grocery store into my car and drove to his house. The rest of his family would
be out for the evening. Did I take a cookbook? Of course not, since my mother
didn’t own one. She’d learned everything from Grandma Ellis who also never
wrote anything down. Ken chose fried chicken and potato salad as his favorite
meal. I added iceburg lettuce with bottled dressing and green beans straight
from the can—no butter or seasoning—to round out the meal. I breaded and fried
the chicken, then kept turning the pieces in the skillet until I set off the
smoke alarm. After all, I had no idea when they were done. But the extra crispy
chicken turned out better than my potato salad. Since I had no idea when the potatoes
might be cooked, the result resembled mashed spuds with tiny pieces of celery,
onion and hard-boiled egg. But Ken loved
my dinner. He not only cleaned his plate but raved about everything. Maybe it’s
not surprising since I was cute-as-a-bug and he was enchanted. But here’s the
best part: When his parents and sister returned from the movies, they all took plates
and ate the leftovers. In fact, my late mother-in-law’s exact words were: “Oh,
my, you better not let this one get away. Any girl who cooks like this is a
keeper.”
I went home that night thinking I
was a good cook. It would be some time before I found out the truth. But Ken
proposed that Christmas and we marred six days after college graduation. I
still miss my mom and my mother-in-law. They both taught me that unconditional
love is more important than anything that goes into your stomach. Before she
passed away, my mom did teach me to cook a few of her special recipes, but every
now and then I still set off smoke alarms…just for old times’ sake.
Please leave a comment telling me how you learned to cook for a chance to win an ARC of my Amish mystery novella, Nothing Tastes So Sweet, included in the anthology, The Amish Sweet Shop, that will release in December. USA only, please. ~ Mary Ellis, Suspense Sisters
You may also pre-book at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Amish-Sweet-Shop-Emma-Miller-ebook/dp/B07BVGY2HD/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536951371&sr=8-1&keywords=the+amish+sweet+shop&dpID=5143TwRcd%252BL&preST=_SY445_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
My mom worked full time so in high school, so we all took turns cooking supper. I learned some good recipes then. Probably some weren’t so good but it was kind of fun.
ReplyDeleteBest way to learn, Monica H, trial and error. Thanks for commenting!
DeleteMy mother let me help her with baking bread and pies at first. When I was too young to measure, she would let me help with kneading bread and letting me make a little loaf in a mini pan. When she trimmed pie crust dough, I rerolled the dough and made a few pie crust mini cinnamon rolls.
ReplyDeleteI helped plant and weed the vegetable garden and helped with picking, washing, cooking, and canning vegetables.
Gradually and when I was in Brownie Scouts, I learned to bake cookies on my own, and make stew, bake potatoes, cook vegetables.
When we Girl Scouts were in 7th grade and took cooking class, we were all ahead of the rest of the class.
Wow! You learned at a very early age! I bet you cook and bake everything without looking at recipes now. Thanks for dropping by!
DeleteMy mom & grandmothers were all good cooks so I learned a lot from them. By Jr. High during summer vacation I was preparing lunch for my dad who worked second shift & my sister's. There were a few notable mishaps including my infamous "gritty gravy". We still laugh about that one.
ReplyDeleteOh, you're saying there's something wrong with gravy with "grit?" lol. Thanks for sharing a chuckle. ps. my gravy still has lumps.
DeleteMy mom mostly taught me to cook from the time I was about three or so and could stand on a chair. Both of my grandmother's also taught me. I love to cook but, my best think is baking. My mom was a great cook.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to leave my email address.
Deleteduellonlysis(at)aol(dot)com
Thanks, Megs Mom, for sharing your memories! With three cooks teaching you, you couldn't help but turn out excellent!
DeleteI learned to cook with Betty Crocker. My mom or sister were always in the kitchen so I didn't really have a chance to learn much.
ReplyDeletemarypopmom (at) yahoo (dot) com
Maryann
I still have my old Betty Crocker Cookbook. It was a wedding present and it still works today.
DeleteI loved your story! That is awesome! Since I was very little, my mom taught me to bake. She wasn't the greatest cook, but loved to bake. I think the cooking genes skipped a generation since my Gramma was an excellent cook. My mom gave me a Boys and Girls Cookbook though and when I was probably only 10 or 11, I would make whole meals for my family. Then I went to college and ended up with mono and had to sit out a semester. I was so tired all the time and had no car, so I was stuck at home. So I started cooking using my Mom's cookbook. One night, I made a whole meal including a baked apple pie for the first time and surprised my parents when they got off work. My brother was dressed as a waiter and we served them in front of the fireplace. They loved it and my cooking skills grew. Now I even have my Gramma's recipe book with a lot of her handwritten recipes in it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carolyn, and I loved your story! Especially the part about surprising your parents after work and your brother serving as a waiter. Your comment made me hungry for apple pie.
DeleteI enjoyed your cooking story, Mary. I learned to cook after I was out of the house and on my own. Many failures and mishaps. My mother had 3 daughters and we were not allowed in her kitchen except to clean up and do the dishes.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mary Ellen, so nice to see your name among the comments. I would rather cook than clean up and do dishes. Wouldn't you?
DeleteMy mother never allowed me to cook anything so I knew nothing about cooking when we married. I received a Better Homes & Garden cookbook as a shower gift and that book saved me! There are grease stains on the most used recipes and I hope that my granddaughter will keep it as proof that all of us can learn to cook! The first birthday dinner that I made for my husband was green! Green because we had our first garden and I prepared green beans, cabbage, and fried green tomatoes. Not sure about the meat but that meal was certainly proof that he loved me for more than my cooking skills! Thanks for sharing your story.
ReplyDeleteConnie
cps1950(at)gmail(dot)com
I loved your green story, Connie. I think if you added a slice of ham it would round out a perfect meal. I love all three of those vegetables.
DeleteI was 8 or 9 when I baked my first cake and put sage in it. But we ate every crumb. lol
ReplyDeleteHmmm, sage in cake? I haven't tried that yet. Thanks for leaving a comment, Pat!
DeleteI was in charge of cooking 2 dinners a week for our family growing up. Never failed they always wanted cube steaks and mashed potatoes (my least favorite meal now) I learned to cook this at an early age of 10. Then homemade biscuits by the time I was 11. I never mastered gravy and to this Day gravy comes out of a bag if I am cooking it
ReplyDeleteCarole, I'm about to share my secret tip for gravy....it's Heinz Home Style in a jar. No joke, I have jars of beef, chicken, roast turkey and pork in my pantry right now. Thanks for leaving me a comment.
DeleteI was lucky enough to have my mom & my grandma share their cooking talents with me! Thank you. rw620 AT aol DOT com
ReplyDeleteThank you, Robin, for leaving a comment and being a Suspense Sisters reader.
DeleteMy mom would call me from work and tell me what to do. I also took home economics in school. fishingjanATaolDOTcom
ReplyDeleteHome Economics! I remember that class. I sewed a real cut jumper. I have no idea why I didn't learn to cook.
DeleteI learned from my Mom who at one time cooked in a bunkhouse on a ranch (when I was in high school), later managed a restaurant and later owned one. Also my grandpa on my dad's side was a chef at a hotel, my dad was a chef, my brother was an excellent cook and his son is a chef. So maybe I come by it naturally, lol. Oh, and I did learn when I was pretty young NOT to cook a whole box of tapioca from my brother (2 years older than me, the same 'cook' mentioned above), lol. He did that one time when my mom wasn't home and we were eating tapioca for a long time, it's a good thing we all liked tapioca, lol.
ReplyDeletewfnren at aol dot com
Wow, a bunkhouse on a ranch?? That is so cool. Yes, you came from a long line of cooks. Thanks for the helpful tip about tapioca. Who knew?? lol
Deletefrom mom
ReplyDeletebn100candg at hotmail dot com
Thanks for commenting on Suspense Sisters.
DeleteMy sister and I were expected to help mom get supper on the table, so we learned by doing. We were in 4-H and took home ed in Jr. High which also helped.Had to watch mom because she didn't write recipes down. jluebke@frontier.com
ReplyDeleteYou were smart to watch your mom. I wished I would have while I had the chance. Thanks for commenting on Suspense Sisters.
DeleteNancy, your name was drawn as the winner of "The Amish Sweet Shop." I truly hope you enjoy my book!! Congratulations. I'll contact you via email.
DeleteMy boyfriend, now husband taught me to cook! Thank you
ReplyDeleteWow! You married a man that can cook?? Why didn't i think of that? Thanks for leaving me a comment.
DeleteI learned to cook by my moms side from the time I could stand on a chair and help her knead biscuits. I even had a tiny biscuit cutter.
ReplyDeleteWould those buttermilk biscuits?? Those are my favorite. I can just picture you on that stool. Thanks for dropping by.
DeleteThanks so much for the chance to win. These books looks so good! I would love to read them.
ReplyDeletefaithdcreech at gmail dot com
Thank you, Faith, for leaving me a comment on Suspense Sisters.
DeleteCan't remember how I learned to cook. I did take Home Ec in school. I remember when I was in high school and my mother was in the hospital (she had to have her gall bladder taken out) that I had to make some simple meals for me and my dad. I made some noodles that came in a box. I learned to bake brownies when I was a teenager. My specialty.
ReplyDeleteI have some of Laura Bradford's books and I think I have one by Emma Miller.
catbooks72(at)gmail(dot)com
Thanks, Michelle, for leaving me a comment and being a Suspense Sisters reader.
DeleteI think the only thing I knew how to cook before I moved out was chocolate chip cookies. I taught myself to cook with the help of a few cookbooks and I also took some cooking classes.
ReplyDeletediannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com
If a gal knows how to bake good chocolate chip cookies, the world will beat a path to her door. Thanks for leaving me a comment.
DeleteMy mom worked night shift all her life and had limited time to prepare meals. She was a great cook but had no time to teach me. I learned how to cook by reading cookbooks and taking home EC in high school. I'm still not a great cook nor do I enjoy it but my husband and I get by.
ReplyDeleteThis book is a win win for me! Amish and suspense.
tumcsec(at)gmail(dot)com
Gail H, yes, that's me, i'm afraid. I do it well enough to get by. Trust me, nobody is starving in this household. Good luck in the drawing.
DeleteI sometimes wonder if I have learned to cook! I cooked simple recipes (like grilled cheese & tomato soup when I got my 1st apt) & after I got married, I learned to use a crock pot, and read a lot of cookbooks that I received for wedding gifts!
ReplyDeleteBarb, you're a woman after my own heart. I use my crock pot alot to so I can hurry back to my writing. And grilled cheese with tomato soup is still one of our favorites.
DeleteI love 💘to cook,I learned myself to cook so I can cook about any main dish,thank for a chance to win your new book
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting a comment and being a Suspense Sisters reader!!
DeleteMy mother taught me how to cook some things. By the time I was in highschool, she was working. So my sisters and I would take turns trying to get a meal on for the family by the time Daddy got home from work. Then when I got married, I used a lot of cookbooks. paulams49ATsbcglobalDOTnet
ReplyDeleteI bet you're a great cook now. Thanks for leaving me a comment.
DeleteI learned some from my mom, plus I took a home economics class in high school.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I understand, schools don't teach home ec anymore. (at least not the ones in Ohio.) What a shame. Thanks, Patricia.
DeleteI learned how to cook from my mom and my Maw (boyfriend's mom). They are both very dear to me and I don't know what I'd do without either of them. I recently asked my mom to start a notebook for me with all her recipes, so I'd have them if something happened to her and also so I'd have them in my mom's handwriting.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea, Lela. I'm fortunate enough to have found my mom's notebook, in her handwriting, after she passed. Otherwise all those wonderful recipes would be lost.
DeleteThanks to all the lovely Suspense Sisters readers! I'm grateful for all the replies. Nancy Luebke, you're my lucky winner of The Amish Sweet Shop! I'll be contacting you via email. Congratulations!!
ReplyDelete