Before my wedding, my future husband requested that I learn how to make his mother’s spaghetti sauce. When I asked his mother for the recipe, she offered me a lesson instead. I spent a day with her writing down not only the ingredients, but also the steps and the nuances that resulted in a sauce that was delicious. A few weeks later, I made a batch and was pleased that I passed the test; my sauce tasted just like his mother’s sauce. There has been a debate in my house for 27 years of whether or not he would have married me if I had failed the test. Since I learned the recipe the first time, I never had to discover the truth!
At 20 years old, I did not realize the potential dangers in trying to learn a recipe that my mother in law could make in her sleep. Fortunately, I was a quick learner, but it could have been a source of frustration and comparison for me had I not mastered the recipe. Trying to duplicate a recipe that someone else has perfected usually is futile. Knowing the ingredients is not the only thing; if you want to make it the same, you have to know the timing, the color, and how it is supposed to taste, and smell, at its various stages.
Let’s Cook Tonight® believes that cooking is easier than you think, but not if you set yourself up for failure by trying to master a recipe that someone else has taken a lifetime to perfect. That is a recipe for disaster because your attempts will leave you frustrated and your version will never measure up. Instead, find recipes that your family loves that you can make in your sleep. They will become a treasured part of your family’s traditions.
Do you have a favorite dish that you have perfected?
Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.
Simple cooking idea: If you have a flower center piece, be certain it is low enough so it will not interfere with conversation
1 comment:
I have tried for 20 + years to make a mushroom gravy my x mother in law makes. It is so good, but when I make it, it is never like hers even though I have written down her directions exactly. Maybe I need to spend a day with her and watch her every step and take notes. I guess I should just give up and let her make the gravy!
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