It's Not the Pan that Makes the Chef

The rental pots and pans and knives we got from insurance are about the cheapest, low quality stuff you can imagine. I am sure most college kids have a saute pan than me.

Cooking is the one thing I really love to do. The one thing that relaxes me and helps me to focus on the good things in life and forget the bad, at least for a little while. It has been a challenge.

The cooktop and I got off to a bad start. I burnt bacon. I never burn bacon, that borders sacrilegious here. And then I burnt scrambled eggs--who the heck burns scrambled eggs. Apparently me. So I have been adjusting levels, moving around pans, compensating for the very thin tin that makes up the pan and it's gotten a little better.

Last night I decided to go with a classic red beans and rice. I admit I struggled a bit with the cheap chef knife, not my 5 star pro Henkels that can slice paper. Using a cutting board the size of a small writing tablet, I managed to dice the celery, green pepper and garlic pretty well.

The bacon had a bit of issues in the pan but all in all, it worked. (I am not getting into the rice--I'll just say I miss my rice cooker.) The family was happy and felt a bit better about my favorite hobby even if I was a stranger in a strange land ;)

And today my husband brought home the new Jamie Oliver 'Food Revolution' cookbook. I got this book for Christmas and I had barely a chance to glance at it before it went up in smoke. Glancing through the pages, I am actually starting to feel a bit of me coming back. I found quite a few things I could make without all my fancy tools.

I know it might sound silly to so many of you but this small victory is just one step making me feel normal again. And it feels good!