I was scanning Twitter today and I came across a post by @SimplyFood( http://tinyurl.com/6fekqsr )asking to submit a picture of someone who inspires you to cook.
I thought of some chefs I have read about or seen on tv. Then I thought about the only reason I cook – my family. If I wasn’t married I would eat out every night. I would be out there tasting and exploring and enjoying all that my little town of Ottawa has to offer. If I didn’t have children, I wouldn’t care if I ate Ramen Noodles 3 nights in a row or if Rice Krispies was on the menu – AGAIN.
But, alas, I do have a family. A pretty terrific one at that. We are a varied lot – some pseudo-vegetarian, all who enjoy a perfectly cooked steak, some texture intolerant, another who won’t “do” salads, one who eats peanut butter every day. We watch our sugar and salt intake, keep an eye on the colour of our plate (1/2 red, green, yellow or orange, 1/4 meat/protein, 1/4 carb-stuff), we don’t do meat 5 nights out of seven and we all love ice cream!!
While I was raised on canned vegetables and standard fare of meat & potatoes, my repertoire has expanded and been influenced by people I have met and places I have been. I enjoy all forms of cuisine now. I am trying to impart that sense of adventure, pleasure and taste to my children. My husband introduced me to many new things, mussels (ick) and oysters (LOVE!), butter (this girl was a margarine-baby all the way), and whole grain bread. We have passed these on to our children who mostly eat them up!
So when I think of who inspires me – I don’t have to look too far. My family, who depend on me to feed them everyday, pushes me to think about what I eat, what I buy and how it all goes together. Who or what inspires you?
My job is to feed them, their job is to clean up!
