I have a thing for cooking. Not baking. Cooking.
Cakes, cookies, brownies . . . Those do not appeal to me in the slightest. I love eating them, of course. I just don't like making them myself.
Chicken parmesan, manicotti, Sunday gravy, stir-fry, parmesan rice and chicken, beef stew . . . Those are dishes I am a fan of, dishes I've made by myself and with my family. My parents instilled in my brother and in myself a love for food that extends beyond just eating. I don't think they did it intentionally; if anything, they did it completely by example. In the last five years this has become especially true. We always had great dinners when I was growing up but in these five years it's become a big deal to get new cookware and try out all these new dishes. It's gotten to the point where I legitimately love going to buy new pots and pans and fancy cooking utensils.
To illustrate this point I have a story. One time during my freshman year, I had gone to the mall w/ two of my roommates. While looking around PacSun, I got a call from my dad saying he'd bought me something. But there was a catch. I would not get said item until I was married and had a house of my own, and up until that point he and my mom would be using it. What was this mystery object? A Dutch oven. I have always loved Dutch oven cooking, especially while camping. The Dutch oven he bought though was a super nice one specifically for kitchens.
This is what it looks like.
So you can probably tell where I got my love of all things cookware.
My brother and I were never too picky about what we ate, or maybe my parents just made lots of food they knew we'd like, but I feel like my mom and dad make the coolest things now. One of my favorite parts of coming home for Christmas and for the summer is seeing/tasting/eating the new recipes and foods my parents have found and made. If my dad finds a new dish that's especially good, he'll even call to recommend it to me.
The problem with being a college student who likes cooking is time. There are so many nights where I want to make something a little more involved but due to tiredness and not really having the time . . . Involved meals only seem to happen on Saturday and Sunday nights. And today I bought the ingredients for one such meal: baked manicotti. Yesterday night I wanted to make a little something special but due to tiredness and not having all the things I needed that did not happen. Luckily, after my soccer game, I went shopping and picked up everything that makes this delicious Italian dish.
I only have one question: Do I invite over a lovely group of friends or do I keep this deliciousness all to myself? Decisions, decisions.
Last YouTube video I watched: Swings (I don't really know how many of you ever watch the videos I've most recently seen but this one really is spectacular.)
