It was 5pm on a work day and my tummy started grumbling. I’d already eaten lunch and snacked on everything in the office. “Can’t wait for dinner,” I mumbled to myself, and started to pack my bags.
Then I remembered there might not be dinner when I got home.
I live with my parents (‘cause I’m not about to try paying rent in Toronto on my salary) and they have been feeding me consistently for the past 25 years or so. But the past few months, an awful thing happened: my mom stopped cooking.
Not completely (she still has to eat) but it’s been long enough that I can’t remember the last time I had a full, home-cooked Haitian meal. Two of my brothers are away for university most of the year, and my remaining family members are fairly picky eaters. But to me, that just means cook smaller portions, not less often! What about your daughter, Mom? I’m still here and I’m hungry all the time.
I’m taking matters into my own hands and learning to cook delicious meals. (To be honest, it’s about damn time.) I emphasized delicious because I’m pretty good at foraging and concocting a hodgepodge of junk to stuff into my face. Now I want to start cooking food I can actually enjoy and share with my friends and family.
Here’s the challenge: for the rest of the year, I will make at least one meal per week. The salads I make at work don’t count. (I literally just pour balsamic vinegar over whatever vegetables and protein I have in the fridge.)
I’ll look for easy and tasty recipes online, buy the groceries I need, and hopefully have a great dinner and leftovers. How hard can it be?
Here are the sites I’m going to use as resources. If you are looking for actual recipes and cooking tips you should check them out:
http://www.kitchenistadiaries.com/
http://heyfranhey.com/tagged/ntrecipes
http://nomnompaleo.com/recipeindex
http://blackgirlsguidetoweightloss.com/category/recipes/
If you just wanna watch me make a mess in the kitchen, I’ll be documenting the whole process for your amusement. It’ll be fun. Right?
Join the conversation!