Chateau Claire

Claire and Cooking:

The evolution of our love-hate relationship.

My name is Claire and I love food. I have loved food for as long as I can remember. I love thinking about food, reading about food, talking about food, and looking at pictures of food. I also love eating food, which is both a blessing and a curse. Notice I have not mentioned cooking food. Well, of course I love to cook food, but cooking and I have developed a love-hate relationship, for reasons both logistical and, to some degree, age related.

I have been cooking for almost as long as I have been eating. My first, and perhaps only, formal cooking lesson came when I was about seven years old. My father had bought me a shiny new Betty Crocker Boys and Girls cookbook. I remember standing on a chair at the kitchen sink scrubbing and carefully peeling carrots for what would become Sunny Carrots. The cookbook remains a favourite of mine. Carrots, alas, do not.

Throughout my teens I became an avid baker and cook. What started as an experiment with the cake mix aisle of our local Dominion store evolved into Sundays spent baking breads, cakes and whatever else I fancied from scratch. I suppose I became quite good at it, and it certainly was more fun, and more immediately rewarding, than studying.

A few years later I found myself with a husband and children who seemed to like being fed. At a stage when I had plenty of time on my hands, and appreciative mouths to feed, I rose to the task and blossomed as a cook. The daily round of three meals and regular cookie-baking sessions weren't enough for me, and for a few years I took to making peach chutney, preserving summer's bounty and handing out homemade chocolate truffles now and again. In a moment of madness I once made my own canned salsa. It seems ridiculous now, when there is perfectly good product on the shelves and all I have to do is part with a few dollars. Never again the hours of peeling and seeding tomatoes. Why didn't I know about surgical gloves then?

As the nest emptied out, and I rejoined the workforce, my love of cooking waned. A combination of having a little less time, being a bit more tired, and having fewer people at the table has changed our relationship. It's not that I don't still love cooking, it's just that I don't always WANT to cook. We still eat, of course, and quite well, but I prefer that meal preparation not take too long, nor,above all, dirty too many pots and pans. I know for a fact that I am not alone. During my work week I meet many people who make the same noises; love to cook, used to cook, don't always want to cook any more.

Claire's Good Food is intended as a catalogue of recipes and ideas for those who feel like I do. For those who like food, feel the need to eat, but don't always want to cook, or perhaps haven't learned much about how to cook, I hope help is found here. For those who do love to cook, and still cook avidly, I think you'll find a few things to add to your collection. And when your friends and family gather and you are really in the mood send them home full and happy, I've got that covered, too.

The V Word. Why you should not fear "Vegetarian" food.

There's something scary about the V word. Not to me, but to many. A lot of people regard meatless food as something eaten by beard-growing, sandal wearing, soap-hating tree huggers. And hearing "Vegan" just closes off the ears and minds of many. What a shame.

Many of the childhood favourites we were all raised on are in fact vegetarian. Think about it. Grilled cheese sandwich, tomato soup, potato salad, mac and cheese, cinnamon toast are all comfort foods we know and love, and all are meatless. But if you came running home for lunch and your mom told you that today's meal was vegetarian, it would have put a real damper on the Flintstones/Power Rangers/Business News Network, or whatever your particular viewing ritual was.

I think that all (well, most) food is good food. While there is a section for those who don't want to have to pick through the list, I will also include meatless recipes in all sections. If you're looking for everyday ideas, or something special for guests, does it really matter whether or not it includes meat? It just has to taste great. We North Americans eat too much meat anyway.

Fear not the V word. It's all good.

Put the Lurkers to Work

I have them, and so do you. Little jars lurking in the back of the fridge, not paying their rent. These are the kind offerings of red pepper jelly your friends brought as hostess gifts, the chutneys you bought because people were coming over at Christmas, and the exciting new salsa you couldn't resist at the fall fair.

In my real life I sell these products, and there is steady stream of people who buy them to serve with cream cheese. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I just think it's a bit of a disservice to both cheese and red pepper jelly. There are more cheeses than the familiar white block, and more uses for these condiments that pouring them on top of said substance.

It's time to make these concoctions work for you. It's time to learn to cook with them. Just think how many spices and flavours you'd have to grind and mix to achieve this sort of deliciousness at dinner time. Why not use a chutney or pepper jelly to glaze a pork roast, a ham or a meatloaf? Brown a chicken breast or piece of salmon, then add a dollop of bottled sauce or chutney and a glass of wine and let it boil into a nice little sauce. If you suddenly find yourself needing a dip for shrimp, veggies or nice Italian breadsticks, mix one of these little devils with some mayo or sour cream. You'll look like you planned it.

And if you really must serve these products on cheese, do yourself a favour, bust out and buy a new and exciting variety. If you're not feeling adventurous, at least buy a really good aged Canadian Cheddar. You can't go wrong.

Simple Recipes and Good Food

Simple Recipes and Food Tips for Real Life