Domestic Diva

What could have possibly gotten into me? Well, let's start with the theory and get to the practice. There are certain people in my life who left a dramatic impact. I suppose it is both because they are really awesome (obviously) and also, that they have a passion for a particular...thing that has somehow rubbed off on me.

In graduate school, Amanda turned me into a cycling-obsessed, workout-loving, active adventurer. This change stuck. I'm working my way back to my pre-Lyme self, but the bug is there. I will forever love the sense of accomplishment that comes with an early morning triathlon.

Now, present day. My dear friend Katie is little Susie (Feminist) Homemaker. Now, if you know anything about me, you know I pride myself in hating cooking. Why would anyone work so hard only to have to clean up after themselves? Restaurants are wonderful! Dining out is among my favorite pastimes. Really, I hated cooking to the extent that I was near the point of unappreciative of someone creating a culinary masterpiece for me.

I try to stay away from meat in my diet, and I love to eat healthy to the best of my ability. I'm also consistently broke, so eatin' on the cheap is a must. Well, Katie decided it was time to dive into some cooking lessons. After all, a broke-ass, (pseudo) vegetarian, health conscious consumer is a good candidate for home cooking.

We stopped by the farmers market to pick up the ingredients and headed back to her homey and welcoming kitchen. We made two pastas and threw together a peach cobbler. While I enjoyed myself, I didn't exactly catch the cooking bug. I mean, it just looked hard, and messy. I thanked her for the experience, but didn't really see adventures of chef-dom in my future. But, somehow, this week, something drastically changed. 

After stopping by the farmer's market on my own, I desired that peach cobbler Katie and I had made a few weeks before. But I not only desired the cobbler, I wanted to make the cobbler. An excitement came over me at the thought of slicing the peaches, preheating the oven, and looking over my success post baking. And so I did it. I made the cobbler. And then the next night I was home, I made a radish leaf soup Dara has been kind enough to whip up for me one night, and a tomato and breadcrumb appetizer.

So, there it is. I got the bug. It took hold of me in an odd sort of way, and quietly snuck in, but here I am fantasizing about what to do with the Tilapia fillets I picked up at Trader Joe's this weekend.

And I'm in the club.