Hello and welcome to my very first blog post. My name is Lenny and I hope to take all of you readers on many special and interesting adventures not only in cooking but also in living and sharing life.
Over the course of many years, my love for preparing and eating great food enticed me to write 3 cookbooks. (My 3rd one is due out shortly).
My goal with this blog is to share with you some great personal stories and a lot of those fantastic recipes that I have gathered over my 50 or so adult years. Does anyone know what the word mageirocophobia is?
Mageirocophobia: (ma-JEER-ro-co-PHO-be-a) – Fear of Cooking
Let’s face it. Many people have a fear of something. Some fear the water because they can’t swim. Others fear the dark or confined spaces because they fear the unknown. I have a good friend afflicted with mageirocophobia, the fear of cooking. We have had many enlightening conversations about the whys and wherefores but concluded it’s basically a fear of failing.
I acquired my love for cooking from my grandmother (on mom’s side) who taught me a lot of the basics. She saw that I had a talent that none of my other brothers and sisters had. She called it a “knack”. And with her help, love and guidance, I perfected it.
Cooking requires a bit of insight. I use that uncanny knack for knowing what spices go with what meats and which ones make them worse. I can tell when something is bland and how to make it enjoyable. This knowledge also comes with practice.
First, ease your fear in the kitchen by trying simple recipes. Instead of making a chocolate souffle, make a chocolate pudding pie instead. In lieu of creating chicken cacciatore, make a roasted chicken instead. You’ll get better at it with practice. Secondly, don’t think of it as a chore. Cooking should be fun and not stressful. Allow extra time to prepare and cook so you are not facing any deadlines. Lastly, read and prepare. Read the recipe through and through so you know exactly what steps you need to perform. Prepare as much in advance as you can before starting. Mincing the onions, dicing the garlic, slicing the veggies… these little things done ahead of time will most certainly help with the preparation when you get to those steps. It will make the task go smoother. Remember, all good chefs weren’t born that way. It took time, effort and determination, so don’t give up. Eventually, you too will acquire an uncanny knack for cooking and erase that fear of failing.
Until next time, Caio!
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You’re an amazing cook. I love all your recipes and stories xoxo
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Len, You could almost be describing me in this blog. I never thought of it that way but I bet I do have a fear of cooking. I do know I’m not very good at it and don’t enjoy it very much. My Mom was a fantastic cook but she liked different kinds of food than I do so I never learned much about cooking from her, plus she liked cooking alone. I tried helping at times but basically just got in the way. I love your cooking and am envious as you make it seem so easy and enjoyable. Maybe changing my way of thinking might help my cooking. We’ll see. Wish me luck.
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