What's for Dinner? Round 1 Wrap-up

I hope you’ve enjoyed the virtual visit to my Cucina Italiana. Round 2 will follow soon. I’m thinking I’ll let you in on the Christmas holidays, Italiano style…

My friends and family can attest that I’ve come along way. My mom always reminds me of when I had no clue how to turn on the stove. Then, “cooking” was following the instructions on a box of Stovetop stuffing. Remember the easy-bake pasta craze? That was next in my cooking evolution. I once tried to make a dessert that required pudding. I purchased cook-and-serve rather than instant, not realizing there was a difference. All my previous pudding experience involved instant and I had no idea what to do. Luckily, my kitchen savvy friend Julie was there to save the day (and the dessert). Not too long ago, I used canned pre-made sauces like “sun-dried tomato alfredo” and thought they were great. Now, I still need a cookbook or recipe but I make sauces from scratch, starting with simple Roma tomatoes. I’ve pick up tons of techniques by watching Food Network (during my USA visits) and there’s always more to learn. Eventually I would like to go to the market, pick out what’s fresh and just come home and make something - cook without the reliance on a recipe.

Other discoveries I’ve made- cooking isn’t that hard but may require some practice plus trial and error. Anything involving basic ingredients takes some extra time. If you plan ahead, you can double your recipe, do the work once and enjoy easy but tasty leftovers. And finally, it helps to have a wonderful husband who will try everything I make.

Check back soon for my next food challenge: home made pasta! I’ll let you know how it goes…

For now, go cook something!

(Leave me a comment. I’d love to read about what you made!)