When Life hands you Lemons

I have always been the kind of person that makes do with what I have.  It is one of the reasons, I feel, that I am such a good cook. I know that some people can be discouraged when trying new things because they don’t have the necessary equipment.  I say RUBBISH!

Good food is easy, even without fancy tools.  I make do with the basics, an 8 inch knife, a good cast iron pan, and a well seasoned wooden spatula are my core tools that I can use to make just about anything. I have used drinking glasses for rolling pins, along with glass bottles.  I have used stacked butter knives to elevate chicken in a roasting pan. I have used metal spatulas for pastry scrapers.

I have to be imaginative when it is important. Usually I find out after I have started a project that I am missing some element of usefulness.  I don’t let that stop me though, because failure through giving up is not an option.  I come up with a clever replacement, and make a note to add the other gadget onto my culinary tools wish list.

Cooking isn’t about having the most gadgety of gadgets.  It is about creating something wonderful to fill the belly and nourish the body. It is about using what is available, and making it so good that it has to be put on the weekly rotation of recipes.

To everyone that cooks, either new to it, or has a lifetime of experience, imagination is probably the most useful kitchen tool on the planet.