Comments on: Sense of Food

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:18:38 +0000

May I recommend “Home Cooking” by Laurie Colwin? She provides recipes, of course, but mainly it’s the warmth of her voice and heart and life that warms you.

By: norma

norma — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 12:22:44 +0000

I never would have pegged you as a foodie. !! What a great post.

By: Mary Ellen

Mary Ellen — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:55:09 +0000

Great post, Wendy. I just made Molly’s Sliced Spring Salad-so different and so good! I think you’d enjoy A Year in Provence also–I’m adding Heat to my list. Try Alice Waters–her philosophy and technique seem well-suited to a busy mom.

By: Jill

Jill — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:17:30 +0000

Great post! I’ll never forget my best friend calling me, in a panic, a few weeks into a new job. She was beside herself because her boss had just asked why there was always food at meetings because “food is just fuel.” See, in our families, food is love. And every event is marked by our favorite foods. She really wasn’t sure she could go on working for that guy.

I’d like to suggest that the Penzeys Spices catalog might be something you’d enjoy reading. (Weird to read a catalog, I know.) They used to publish a magazine called Penzeys One, and at the heart of the company is the idea that cooking is love. Although the magazine isn’t published anymore, the catalog has shorter stories in it of home cooks who just love to cook for their families. Might be right up your alley.

By: Carole

Carole — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 11:10:02 +0000

Wonderful post, Wendy. And Tender at the Bone is one of my favorite books.

By: Seanna Lea

Seanna Lea — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:04:37 +0000

I really would love to have a year to dedicate to learning the techniques of a professional chef (mostly a pastry chef, but sweets are the way I roll). I love my job and would never want to leave it, but there are some things that just aren’t that easy to learn without the immersion.

I remember helping my mom cook and my dad coming by and critiquing, being the chef spoiling the soup as it were. He loves to stir things up. There was grilling in January, with my dad standing over the grill in shorts and maybe a t-shirt even though the snow was coming down. Food is definitely at the cornerstone of a lot of my memories.

By: pumpkinmama

pumpkinmama — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 22:05:59 +0000

This is a great post – I can picture this all very well, your writing is most excellent! Also – thinking of the cool symmetry of you as young grad student holding fussy babe so new mom can cook in peace. Perhaps you should go find someone in your neighborhood to do the same for you so can have some fun in the kitchen again!? (easier said than done, I know)

By: Laura

Laura — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 21:22:06 +0000

Some of my most vivid childhood memories are of sitting on the counter in the kitchen watching my mom cook (or sitting on the floor playing with the pots, pans, or biscuit dough while my mom cooked). I also have a deep love of food – both the cooking and the time spent with friends eating it!

By: Vicki

Vicki — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:14:00 +0000

Good thing I just ate — a lame ol’ workday lunch, but still — otherwise, I’d be a droolin’ fool right now!!
We have sturgeon here, too, but I’m not sure how long their noses are. I could hold fussy (or not) babies while you check ‘em out. And then you could cook while I continue to hold ‘em. ; ) I know you know that your time will come around again… and how wonderful it will be to share these things with your kids — even if they (like you) don’t appreciate it at the time.

There are a few favorite bloggers who, for one reason or another (but mostly one diaper-wearing reason) don’t blog as often as they used to… but there have been some recent posts appearing that are well worth the wait. This is one. Miss you lots. Hugs to all.