My cooking education

My mother often laments that I never learned any of her cooking secrets because I never had any interest in the kitchen as a young child. She also comments on my stubborn refusal to ask for help. When I was in junior high I became interested in cooking dinner for the family. I was convinced that I could cook a full gourmet meal, not just a regular dinner. Desire to cook, zero cooking knowledge, and a strong "I can do this myself" attitude create a bad combination.

I had the opinion that since I could read, I could cook. After all, cooking is just follwing a set of instructions. Any literate person can do that. Or so I thought...

As you've probably guessed, I've had some rather interesting cooking experiences and results. Not all of the experiences resulted in complete failure. For example, I baked a cake that was extremely tasty. Unfortunately it was also about one inch tall.

Somehow I've managed not to burn the kitchen, burn myself, or poison anyone. Instead I now have several stories about my cooking experiences. So read, laugh and shake your head. If you know me in real life, then you probably aren't going to be too surprised by a few of the stories.