Wednesday, September 22, 2010

I Do Not Always Feel Like Cooking...

This weekend I ran into a friend at Costco. She has something in her hands that looked good, so I asked her what it was. Her response was that it was a $5 pumpkin pie, and she had to buy it because she does not cook like me. I smiled and told her it looked really good, then promptly considered putting one in my cart, and quite honestly would have if I thought the family would eat it.

It always amuses me that people think that it is all gourmet all the time in the Kitchen Tart House.

Last night I was tired and boiled water for store bought tortellini. Tonight, we are eating pre-made eggplant Parmesan from Costco. I love to cook, but I am only human. I have a busy life with two very active children and a demanding (not in a bad way) husband. I love to cook, but I have the same limitations of many other young mothers, not enough time or energy to do it up every single night.

I am guilty of running down to a local pie place and picking up an apple pie for a special occasion, because although I love making apple pie, sometimes I am just not in the mood.

What does this have to do with my cookbook? Moments like my encounter with my friend in Costco remind me that I want to include two very important things in my cookbook:

1. A forward that includes the fact that I do not cook like this all the time, and that it is human to make Mac and Cheese or buy Pumpkin Pie.

2. Shortcuts on some recipes, like using store bought pesto for my goat cheese shells if you just do not feel like making your own pesto that night.

I am a purist and really do prefer a lot of recipes to be from scratch, but I have used the shortcuts and the end product is often not all that different.

I truly want to make this a cookbook that people can enjoy. This does not mean that the recipes will all be easy, some will and some will not, it just means that there will be something for everyone from beginner to expert.

Everyone needs to just buy a pie every once in a while...

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