Revisionary History

I've had a vexed relationship to cooking for a long time. When I was married (oh so long ago and ever so briefly), my ex and I had an . . . unequal relationship to cooking, i.e., I cooked and shared with him but he cooked only for himself. I was always stunned when this happened. He'd retire to our home office with a bowl of food in hand and nothing left in the kitchen. After we split up, I think that one way I asserted my independence was to give up cooking to some extent. Of course, I've cooked over the years, but not regularly and only occasionally with enjoyment.

This whole food blog thing has been a big surprise to me--since it indicates a shift in my relationship to food. I'm discovering that eating isn't just about the actual act of chewing and swallowing food, it's also about the preparation--including the origin of the recipe, shopping for ingredients (or growing and harvesting them), and the actual act of cooking. All of these elements can be tactile, pleasurable, and communal.

Tonight my friends John B. and John J. are coming over to play Scrabble. I decided to make them dinner as well, pizza, salad, and peach pie (or cobbler, I haven't decided yet). I plan to make the crust, sauce, and peach dish before they get here. But together we'll decide what to put on the pizza. I have a few ideas: sliced tomato, red onion, green olives, sun dried tomato, red pepper (roasted?), green pepper, garlic, basil, broccoli and (of course) cheese.

This morning I went to the Farmer's Market and was wowed by a new vegetable. Do you know what this is?

Tomatoes, red pepper and . . . chayote greens. They were just so beautiful, I had to buy some. I think I'll saute them tonight for an unusual side. I wonder what they'll taste like.

I also went out back and picked some peaches from my tree. Some of them are a little small, but aren't they lovely?

I know, I know. You're used to seeing pictures of already prepared food. I hope I'll be able to share some of those tomorrow. But for now, I just wanted to enjoy the anticipation of turning these ingredients into something delicious. At least, I hope that's what we'll end up with.