There's a Recipe For That
Author: jill
•7:51 AM
In October of 1989, my Grampa Smyth gave me my first (serious) cookbook. Until that time, I cooked using my mom's recipes, her cookbooks - which numbered two or three, perhaps - and a children's cookbook I had received as a Christmas gift when I was ten years old. I still have it, and it was important in the life of me because it taught me how to make Cinnamon Toast.

But my Grampa recognized my interest in cooking, and I suspect that it was the first time he acknowledged (to himself) that I was growing up. He would have wanted to ensure that I could cook a good meal for my future husband. So while home (from university) for a long weekend at Thanksgiving, he presented me with the book. We had all gathered for Sunday dinner at Grampa's apartment, and he handed me this book, which had been wrapped up, if I remember correctly. I think this memory is so vivid because I was shocked that he was giving me a present ... we didn't exchange gifts at Thanksgiving?? And then I was so touched that he had been able to see me as a person, as an individual instead of just his granddaughter. That cookbook gave me my start into the world of culinary experimentation and exploration.

The book of which I write is the Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook, and I absolutely adored it. I think I looked at every recipe, and then I tried lots of them. I perfected Cheesecake, homemade bread and pie crust and even made my own pasta occasionally. But it also served as a reference for roasting whole birds and (as Grampa always said) roast beast.

From that point on, my Grampa took credit for any and all my accomplishments in the kitchen.

"I gave her the first cookbook she owned," he would tell anyone who would listen, as he enjoyed a piece of my latest (dessert) creation. It was then that I became responsible for the dessert course at all family gatherings. But that is to be expected when you pump out the best apple pie on the planet, or homemade Cream Puffs.

The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook became my reference manual ... my cooking Bible.

Until I found Bittman, that is.

I have been wanting to buy How to Cook Everything (10th Anniversary Edition) by Mark Bittman for some time now. So, I finally did so a little earlier this summer, and I have not been disappointed.

Mark Bittman is a food journalist and an author. He is current, with an old fashioned sense of style. At least, that is how I think of him. He is a strong proponent of sustainable living and homecooking. He uses the freshest, most natural ingredients he can find, and his cookbook provides the reader with cool, hip recipes and some old-fashioned ones he has made-over.

How to Cook Everything is akin to a Journal or an Index of Cooking Information. It is my opinion that every kitchen should have this book ... even if you have been cooking for a number of years. Because you can always learn new things, right?

Bittman is a genius ... there, I said it. And I completely believe it, too. He makes food simple, but creates interesting, complex flavours. And he teaches technique as well. Most recipes are quick to make, with ingredients the average cook would have on hand.

One of the unique things about his cookbooks is that Bittman includes several variations for many of his recipes. For example, he will begin with a basic recipe for pasta or rice salad, followed by ten to fifteen different variations. Leave out this and this, and instead add that, that, and that ... totally different salad. And many times, he will give ideas on how take the same basic recipe and make it vegetarian by substituting cauliflower or a legume for the meat. It's really easy once you get the hang of it.

I'm sure you are familiar with the Apple campaign, "There's an Ap for that." Well, Bittman's marketing slogan could easily be "There's a recipe for that." Several times I have had an ingredient that needed to be used up so it would not spoil, and each time I have found a great use for it by consulting with Bittman. Just the other night I had some leftover corn-on-cob, and found a recipe for corn salad that was out of this world. 

Don't let this turn you off ... but there are no photographs in this cookbook. Normally, the first thing I look for are great photos of the dishes you can create. Because we all eat with our eyes first, don't we? The only pictures in How to Cook Everything are instructional drawings. But, to be honest, I didn't really notice the lack of photos. I didn't need them, and you won't either. Because the more you make Bittman's recipes, the more you will come to trust him. He will not steer you in the wrong direction. Like the recipe for Watermelon and Tomato Salad ... it seems like the strangest combination of ingredients, but I cannot wait to try it. Especially since watermelon and field tomatoes are at all the local food stands.

If you are in the market for a new cookbook, please pick this one up. Look, this book has more than one thousand pages of recipes and ideas; so, if you cannot find a few good ones that would warrant the $40 you have to shell out for your own copy, then perhaps you should assign meal preparation to someone else in your family.

I think my Grampa would love it, and I wish I could surprise him with a copy of it. Why don't you? Surprise someone that you know with a fresh point of reference for their kitchen.

You can read Bittman's NY Times column, The Minimalist, here.

You can check out his blog here.
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The Piano Man's Daughter
Author: jill
•11:31 AM
It was not that long ago that The Piano Man's Daughter came out. I can remember it clearly because I wanted to read it so badly. Therefore, when I stumbled on it at the Public Library a couple of weeks ago, I knew my search for another book written by a Canadian author was over. I could hardly wait to get home.

But when I did get home, I felt as though bitter reality had slapped me right across the face. It turns out that Timothy Findley's The Piano Man's Daughter was published in 1995.

1995? What? That just cannot be true because it seems like it was just a couple of years ago that I read the first reviews of it. Not fifteen years ago! Ugh ... there's that slap of bitter reality again.

It is a great read if you enjoy stories that encompass two or three generations of the same family, or a journey to understand the true character of one individual.

Just as the title suggests, this book tells the story of Lily - the piano man's daughter - and her battle with mental illness as seen through the eyes of her son. It is engaging and interesting, and although it is primarily the story of Lily, it also tells the story of the whole Kilworth family.

There are several themes running through this novel. Mental illness. Fire as a symbol. A little bit of religion. Spirituality, for certain ... Lily believed that "to be born was to be made visible." And the colonies of ants that Lily loved so much ... I would need to research that a little further before speculating.

As I neared the end of this book, I completely forgot that I was reading. I was so engrossed, I felt like I was there, with the characters. It seemed so real, I just knew that it had to be. And, I was right. Findley has acknowledged that the character of Lily was based on his aunt, who was schizophrenic. Findley describes Lily as autistic; however, I would have to politely disagree. Lily is most definitely schizophrenic, as well as epileptic.

Epilepsy brings a really cool aspect to the story because of the meanings attached to it. In ancient times, epilepsy came to be known as a "Sacred Disease." People thought that the seizures were a form of attack by demons, or that the visions experienced by persons with epilepsy were sent by the gods. Could Lily be a vessel? You read it, and let me know what you think.

It is the epilepsy that makes Lily different as a child, and the illness causes her mother (and family) to feel ashamed of her for that reason. They work very hard to hide the illness because at that time, mental illness (of any kind) was something that could bring shame on a family. But once she grows up, it is the schizophrenia that comes to define her life. She is delusional and has hallucinations, which are the hallmarks of schizoprenia. And the changes in her personality begin around the time she is eighteen or nineteen years old ... another indication of a schizophrenic diagnosis.

But I won't be able to convince Findley of my diagnosis because he died in 2002.

The characters really come to life, and force the reader to consider what is right for them. I had to question whether Lily should have had custody of her son? How could a mother choose her husband over the welfare of her daughter and grandson? Yes, she slipped them some money when she could ... but does that make her decision to turn her back on them all right? When do you stop being responsible for your child?

It is unfortunate that it took me fifteen years to pick this book up. Don't make the same mistake I did ... go, get this one right now.
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Going Old School
Author: jill
•7:26 AM
She had been there hundreds of times before, maybe even thousands. But this time was different. At the age of forty-one, she had come to this store in search of back-to-school supplies ... for herself. Although she was very excited, she also felt a little silly, which is the reason she brought her daughter. Perhaps passers-by would just assume the supplies were for the little girl.

"Oh, Mommy," said Martie, holding up a package, "look at these pretty markers."

"Those are highliters," the woman explained. "They are used to mark the important things that you read ... so you won't forget them." Hopefully she wouldn't forget them.

"Can we get the pink ones?" Martie asks.

"Sure."

The woman and her daughter wandered around the store until they had found all the necessities.

"These are the cutest notebooks," said the cashier. "I think I am going to pick some up for myself."

"Do you attend the University?" the woman asked.

"Yeah," the young girl answered, with a little sparkle in her eye.

"Does anyone use actual notebooks to write notes in class?" the woman asked. She was truly interested in the answer, and waited while the cashier thought for a minute.

"Nope. Pretty sure most people use their laptop for notes in class," the cashier reports. There is a small (okay, it's very large) pit in the woman's stomach. "But sometimes I use a notebook. But not very often ..."

The woman laughed. What else could she do, really? When she last attended an institute of higher learning she felt fortunate because she had inherited her Grampa's electric typewriter after he retired. Honestly. The forty-one-year-old woman could hardly imagine unpacking a laptop to take notes in class ... wasn't that a lot of work just to jot down some notes?

"You know ... I am taking some classes at the University this Fall. And, I am going to use notebooks ... and pencils. I don't care what everyone else is doing ..." she told the cashier, with a little sparkle in her eye, trying to be very self-confident and defiant.

"Well," she said, handing the woman her bag full of back-to-school supplies, "there is nothing wrong with old school."

Wait ... she wasn't totally old school. She has an iPod and a cellphone like everyone else in the free world. She knows about Twitter. It wasn't as though she wasn't current and hip and trendy. Okay ... maybe not totally hip and trendy. But still cool, right?

But she wasn't nineteen years old anymore either. The woman brought perspective and maturity to the university campus this time around. She brings experience. And, she also brings a different level of commitment and an interest that she did not have twenty years ago. This time, she would learn things with a deeper understanding. That is not to say that she did not learn things before. Because staying out with friends until dawn and then doing the same thing the next night was a skill that came in handy for dealing with newborn babies and sick children.

There is nothing wrong with writing notes ... the woman wanted to be a writer afterall. And writers write. Some authors still write their novels long hand ... not very many, but there are some who still do.

Yep, the woman thought, there is nothing wrong with old school.

But she was in the spirit of learning. A laptop on campus could come in handy ... she did have a blog to maintain and she can't study the entire day. She turned to her daughter and said, "Come on, Martie. Let's go check those cute laptop bags I've seen in all the magazines." 

Disclaimer: Although this is a fictionalized account, the facts are true - school supplies were purchased and the cashier did tell the woman she was "old school." Real names have changed to protect the innocent.
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Me Minus About Eight Inches ...
Author: jill
•6:46 PM



Click here if you need a refresher on why a new hairstyle is so important in my world.
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Top 10 Reasons I'm Glad School is Back in Session
Author: jill
•8:48 PM
In September 2006, I brought my oldest child to a strange building full of strange people and left him there ... to find his own way in the world. I was filled such apprehension and anxiety ... I think, because I wanted him to love school so much. Like I did/do. And I wanted him to dazzle the strangers, just like has dazzled his father and I. I ached for him while he was away; he was constantly in my thoughts, hoping he was able to manage without me to help guide him. Pretty pathetic, huh?

Let me assure you, I have changed since those early days. In fact, I have twice the number of years of parenting excellence since then. And, I have a much different perspective.

Today was the first day of school for two of my three children. Number three came along for the ride, so she could check out her classroom and officially meet her JK teacher. Excitement abounded as we approached the school this morning ... oh, and the kids were pretty pumped, too.

It wasn't until the early 1800s that public education began to form in Canada. Prior to that, each family was responsible for educating their own children. Can you imagine the collective scream of joy on the day all the kids went to the first school? Woo-hoo!!

Although we each have our own reasons, I thought I would share the reasons I love school so much ...

(10) I get use the bathroom in private, without someone knocking on the door. Whether I am in there for two minutes or thirty, over the summer months it was a rare occasion if there was not a knock on the door ... usually because somebody wanted "something" (see #6).

(9) I can actually finish what I start ... all in a row, without interruptions. Many posts throughout the summer have been written one sentence at a time; but now, here I sit, typing away ... sentence after sentence.

(8) The quiet. I now hear the breeze through the trees, the hum of my laptop. Not that I don't love the sound of all those giggles, but I have listened to them for nine weeks in a row and am now taking some pleasure in the breeze outside my window.

(7) I don't have to watch Hannah Montana or The Wizards of Waverly Place until after five o'clock each day. Or, the Jonas Brothers. Ugh. I am sure they are all nice kids and stuff, but ... Plus, I know all the words to their songs and I'm starting to laugh at their jokes ... this is troublesome for me.

(6) The number of times that I hear, "Mom, can I (insert most annoying thing your child asks for here) ..." will be greatly reduced. Between the three of them, it seems as though they are at me most of the day for food, drinks, or suggesting fun activities ... like painting (a favourite amongst all girls, I think) or going to the park/beach/grandparents.

(5) My sense of guilt will decrease greatly ... guilt over being a boring Mom. It has been difficult to entertain three kids, all at different stages of development, each with their own interests. And, frankly, a mom's energy level diminishes over the course of the summer ... at least this mom's energy level does.

(4) Stuff that I organize will actually stay organized for longer periods of time. That right, toys will stay in their places and clothes will remain on their hangers in the closet.

(3) I don't have to eat at specific times. If I don't feel like eating lunch until 1:30pm, I can get all crazy and eat my lunch at 1:30pm! Breakfast and supper, however, will remain on schedule ...

(2) Speaking of schedules, I get to have a structure to my day ... which I love. I'll admit that it was harder and harder to jump out of bed (ready to take on the day) as the summer holidays drew to an end. But now, I'm back on track with time-specific goals that must be met!

(1) And, the #1 reason that I am glad it's back-to-school time, is the smiles that greet me at the end of the day. The smiles that assure me friends were played with, new things were learned. And when they can hardly wait to tell you about something really cool that happened at school ... I love when that happens, too.

So, I have my quiet back and I enjoyed a guilt-free coffee this morning. But between you and me, the real reason I am so happy school is back in session is because, if the kids are all back in school, it also means it is time for Mommy to go back to school.

Two days until my first day of school ... but who's counting?
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