To Cook or not to Cook

Well its Jamie and me tonight.

Bloody ‘ell. What’s a bloke to do when he’s been on the other side of the counter most of his life.

I am well versed with the essential meals. To this I am true. A real breakfast. A bit of eggs, and chips messed all up with some bacon for an artery clogging, heart stopping breakfast. Soup and sandwiches for lunch. Dark rye bread with caraway seeds, german pepperseed salami, aged white cheddar cheese and a slice of tomato. Barbeques for dinner. Steaks, breasts, legs and fish. And don’t forget the potatoes, tossed with some pepper, salt and spicy seasonings. But once you expand beyond the basic ingredients, I step aside for the passionate cooks, the ones who can unlock the wide range in tastes and senses that lie waiting to be released and enjoyed. Someone who’s specialties go well beyond successfully pouring milk into their cereal bowl for breakfast.

But never doubt my love for food. In fact I can honestly say I have enjoyed every one of the delicacies served. Sipping wine from across the counter while the real artists are at work. The recipient of a never ending stream of appetizers and entrée’s; emerging from the pots on top of the stove or in the depths of the oven. The wider and broader range of ingredients that come together in a heavenly aroma. More matter with less art. (and I am not even going to touch on dessert in this posting). Never one to rest with the most recent success, there almost seems delight in finding the next intriguing concoction. My waistline approves. My doctor is happy. What’s more to life than this?

And over time I have become familiar with the names of many of the keys to success. Herbs de Provence, coriander, fresh basil, Rosemary & Thyme; and on and on it goes. We have even reached the stage where the freshest of herbs adds that little extra element of taste, herbs scrounged from our garden, at our beck and call. Pots brimming full of spices that magically appear once the sun starts shining again. There seems to be a never ending realm of possibilities. New names, variations in combination and recipes from different sources. How hard can this be? The recipes the thing.

Well it’s Jamie and me tonight.

You see, “Cook with Jamie” is my guide. It does seems quite straightforward enough. Aside from the fact there are limited ingredients in my kitchen and I am substituting on the fly. I am up for the challenge. I have the book, the man. But what of the instructions? Therein lies the rub. How do you teach an engineer to follow arbitrary guidelines? How do you take someone who measures twice to wrap his mind around Jamie’s ramblings?

What’s a glug of olive oil? Does it matter if it’s a small bottle with a small opening or a bigger one with a larger opening. And how much is a good glug? Two normal glugs? Let alone a splash. Or even a drizzle. I'll be through the Oxford dictionary before I’m done. And let’s not even try to figure out what a knob of butter is. I’m not letting him into the apartment. Then there is a pinch of salt. And how much more is a good pinch. Let alone a sprinkle. Unless of course it’s season to taste. But to taste like what?

What the ‘ell. I might as well scrunch it all together, chuck it in, add a bunch of basil leaves, a squeeze of lemon and top it all with a block of cheese.

mmmm. Not bad for the first time. Jamie, pull up a chair. The lad doth protest too much, methinks.