52: 26 Standing the heat

I am sure you have all heard the saying; if you can't stand the heat, then get out of the kitchen. And until recently this definitely applied to me. I used to burn everything, never have things ready at the same time and completely panic when people are taking their first bite of something as if they are about to drop down dead. I faltered. I couldn't stand the stress of cooking so I got out of the kitchen faster than you can say 'chip pan fire'.

However, since I have had my own flat I have been cooking more and particularly from recipe books. Who would have thought it?


So me, little miss Can't Cook, Won't Cook actually made a meal tonight that had more than one element (Psst! For those not in the know element is the fancy way of saying multitasking several different recipes that all add up to the same dish.) In fact my chicken kebabs were not only served with rice but were marinaded in lime, chilli and honey first but they also came with an avocado and tomato sauce made from scratch by moi!

It may not be Michelin starred cuisine, but then again who wants tomato jelly served with coffee froth on a bed of 'micro-herbs'?

I don't want to give the impression that I couldn't cook at all before, or indeed that I am the world's best chef now. I have always had good common sense when it comes to cooking so simple 'stick it all in' dishes like spag-bol or even wrapping something yummy up in ready made pastry wasn't hard to conquer. And now, I have to admit, I still muck up. For example we eat a lot of rice and I can never get the timing quite right on having it ready at the same time.

I think that my weaknesses are probably organisational skills more than cooking skills at play. It is funny because at work I am often told I am super-organised. Whereas at home... I'm not so sure. Then again I am anal enough to write down exactly what times everything needs turning on when I am doing a 'heat it up and stick it on the plate lazy processed dinner' (not that this happens often).

I guess my point is that I never thought I'd get into cooking. And, while it isn't my favourite thing in the world, it really isn't as bad as I built it up to be in my head. I am standing the heat and staying in the kitchen... unless there really is a chip pan fire... which is unlikely since we don't eat chips and would only bother with oven fries anyway... what was I talking about again...