A few years ago, my wife of some forty-seven years died of breast cancer. A short time later, the two eldest of my three daughters visited with me for the ostensible reason of helping me through a very difficult time in my life. But, they had a hidden agenda--at least the ringleader did.
On the first morning of their visit, they instructed me to accompany them to the supermarket at which Debbie and I had normally purchased our groceries. It soon became apparent that they were not only concerned about my emotional health, but my physical health, as well, for they immediately set about buying and showing me where I could find such foods as rice, pasta, packages of black beans and rice, other types of packaged rice dinners, frozen dinners, cans of soup, et cetera. When our trip was completed, I was more than $200 poorer in terms of cash, but much richer in terms of being able to face the future with the confidence gained in knowing how I was going to put the next meal on the table. Anne and Dee had been concerned about the future of my health conditions, and they were successful in showing me the simple way handling the food aspect of the issue.
They had understood, and rightfully so, that I had never cooked. For me, the kitchen was a room that I rarely visited during the many years of my marriage. In fact, the times that I did enter it were generally for the purpose of removing some tasty liquid from the liquor cabinet and some ice from the refrigerator-freezer to go with the whiskey or gin. I was not a cook, and I never pretended to be. So, the acquisition of easy to prepare meals was obvious.
Debbie, on the other hand, had been a gourmet cook. If she had been asked the right question, I am certain that she would have admitted that she was disciple of Julia Child. She watched all of the Julia Child TV shows that could be worked into her busy schedule; she had every book that Julia ever wrote, and she used them often. We ate very well in the Willis household, and so did our guests. We all ate well thanks to Julia, and thanks to Debbie's ability to adapt the recipes to the needs and wants of the family. On meeting Julia in the later years of her life, Anne told her that she was raised "...on her cooking." That was true.
My mother had an expression that I heard many times over the years: "Circumstances alter cases, just as noses alter faces." It was not original with her, but I do not know the exact source of it, except that the first clause can be found in Proverbs. Well, my circumstances changed. I no longer wanted prepared meals--frozen, packaged or what have you, because they contain far too much sodium for my taste and good health, and they are far too expensive, as well as being taste poor. If I didn't want the easy to fix type of meal, it meant that I would have to learn to cook; that's not an easy task, as many of you know full well.
I have looked at many cookbooks: some of them have horribly complicated recipes; some of them have recipes that are easy, but produce lousy end products; and some of them have recipes that guarantee that the follower will spend a full day in the kitchen producing a dinner for one or two. What to do?
Well, I did what any thinking father would do, I called my daughters for advice. ( As is true with many parents, I don't mind telling them that I respect their counsel and advice.) Overwhelmingly, they recommended a cookbook that has been by my side ever since then. It is: How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman. The jacket of the 944 page book, as well as the sub-title, touts that it contains "Simple Recipes for Great Food." That, my friends, is a true statement, not just some sales agent's blurb.
I didn't know it, but that book had been in our library for a while, because Anne had given it to Debbie as a Christmas present about a year before her death. For all practical purposes, it was still a brand new book when I started referring to it. It now looks like a well used collection of recipes, because it is.
Back before I did some imaginative cooking, I would, for example, make a pasta dinner using bottled tomato sauces such as "Ragu" or "Prego". That was before I learned that those sauces contain, in a half-cup serving, between 550mg and 770mg of sodium. Who limits himself and his guests to just one-half cup of sauce when serving a pasta dinner? Think about it! The sodium intake while using those sauces in the necessary quantities is huge--we should avoid them! I did learn to avoid the nasty and relatively tasteless sauces that are sold in groceries by following a quite simple and easy, yet delicious outcome, recipe found in Mark's book. One word of advice before we get into that fantastic recipe, don't wait until you are a widow or widower to learn about cooking, cooking tools, or cookbooks; your life with your mate will be much more enjoyable if you work together in the kitchen, and you won't be thrown into cooking-shock if you survive your mate.
Here, as found on page 328, is that recipe:
Shrimp "Marinara" with Pasta or Rice
Makes 4 servings
A tried-and-true dish, still a favorite in old-style Italian restaurants throughout the country. With fresh herbs, it's a revelation. Make plain white rice or pasta while you prepare this dish.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 tablespoon minced garlic; 4 cups cored and chopped canned or fresh tomatoes, with their liquid (I use two cans, 14.5 ounces, of diced tomatoes with Italian herbs); 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (but dried basil does just as well if need be); (I also add about one cup of chopped onions to the mix); 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano or marjoram leaves or 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano or marjoram; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper; salt to taste (that means very little); and 1 pound raw shrimp in the 20 to 30 per pound range (make certain that the shrimp peeled with tails removed, rinsed and dried).
What to do with the Ingredients:
1. Heat the oil over medium-low heat for about one minute. Add the garlic (and the onion if you elect to use it) and cook, stirring once or twice, until golden, about 3 or 4 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes, raise the heat to medium-high, and let the mixture bubble, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Add half the basil, the oregano, pepper and salt. Stir and taste for seasoning. Reduce the heat to mediumand let simmer while you cook the rice or pasta, depending on your choice (I've prepared this dish both ways.)
3. When you are just about ready to eat, add the shrimp to the sauce; cook until the shrimp are firm and pink, about 5 minutes. Remove 3 or 4 shrimp from the sauce and set aside. Toss the sauce with the pasta or spoon it over the rice; top with the remaining basil and reserved shrimp, and serve.
Your guests will be amazed and more than pleased.
Bon Appetit!
DAW
P.S. In a bookstore, Mark's book sells for $29.95; at Amazon.com, you can buy it for less money, but make sure that you get it with no shipping charges. The address for Amazon is:
http://www.amazon.com?%5Fencoding=UTF8&tag=cooktool-20
Since we began this web-log, we have had over 300 "hits". That word is computerese jargon for people who have visited the site. We are very appreciative of your visiting us; however, not many of you have left comments. We need your input! Please, please leave your thoughts and suggestions! Also, please refer us to your friends and neighbors.
Hi David,I enjoyed reading your recent posting and agree wholeheartedly that Debbie was a very fine cook. I'm also pleased that you are taking an active interest in cooking. I have leafed through your How To Cook Everything book on several occasions and plan to get a copy. Congratulations on starting this blog. Your recipe for the shrimp pasta dish sounds delicious. Thanks. C
Posted by: Carol Colombo | August 07, 2007 at 10:32 AM
I can testify to the quality of the delicious pasta recipe above. My sister and I were served it on our next visit to dad's house. Our oohs and aahs over it were partly due to the flavorful dish and partly due the fact that he cooked it for us with little visible fuss and bother. I think he protested by saying it wasn't that hard - "if you can read, you can cook" were his words, I believe.
Posted by: dW | August 09, 2007 at 10:22 AM
Hi, I think your article its very important and interesting,good work, thanks for sharing!! Have a nice day!
Posted by: Buy Viagra | August 06, 2009 at 05:17 PM
wow..me too, I need cookbook also for me to learn how to cook..
Posted by: buy carisoprodol | November 15, 2009 at 10:39 PM