The Cooking Race

At the rate I am going... my readers must think I dine out more than I cook which is far from the truth! I personally cook a lot more than I dine out. I live in an awesome neighborhood in the city and many people would tell or ask me about specific restaurants. I would always shrug because I do not even go out to eat. If it became a choice of eating out or cooking, I would sign up to cook!

I had an adrenaline rush when cooking on Friday evening. What happened... I had just finished my regular swim and was on my way home when I re-read the invitation to a friend's holiday party. I read that each person was supposed to bring a holiday dish to the party. YIKES! By the time I walked in my place, I had exactly one hour to pull off everything: meaning get showered, dressed up and make a dish. I clearly did not have time to go to the food store and cook something. I do not like to buy things ready-made. Besides I figured the other party attendees would be bringing packaged and ready-made food. So... I had to whip up something quick AND use whatever was available in my refrigerator. I took five minutes to scan my refrigerator and look through a cookbook for ideas. Aha! Butternut squash-apple soup. After showering and getting dressed in 25 minutes, I had about 30 minutes left. I was in a race against time.

Luckily I already had cubed butternut squash that I previously prepared. I quartered the apple. Then I steamed both. While the squash and apple were being steamed, I chopped and sauted the onion. Using my VitaMix, I blended fresh thyme from my Aerogarden, a bit wheat flour, water and chicken base. (NOTE: When any recipe calls for chicken broth, I usually use water and add chicken base. This means less packaging= less impact on the environment). I added the steamed squash and apple to the blender to puree. I was done in 20 minutes- whew! I took a moment to unwind a bit before leaving. After a race like that, one needs a quiet moment! I packed the blender container, a saucepan, a ladle, and tiny cups in a bag and I was out the door leaving a fine mess in the kitchen. I served the soup in those tiny cups which beat using bowls and spoons. The soup was a huge hit.

If I did not have the modern equipment, would I still be cooking? I probably would not. I challenged myself to try whipping the egg whites until they peaked (because I could not find what I needed in my friend's kitchen) and wow...even after alternating arms, both of them felt like they were going to fall off! My friends tell me that people do not have time to cook. I think it is more of what one has in the kitchen that makes cooking much faster. Many of the things that I cook are pretty fast and easy because of what I have in my kitchen. On Friday evening, VitaMix saved my neck. I have other important friends in my kitchen that help cut down the time spent on cooking. The modern technology in the kitchen made it possible for me to have a lifelong love affair with cooking.