I get asked a lot about what “kind” of cooking I “do”.  This question always stumps me.  I have recently decided that I just don’t have a specialty cuisine at all.  And I am okay with that.

I grew up in multiple places and have moved a bit with my job.  None of the stops were particularly inspiring on the food circuit (San Jose, CA; Eugene, OR; Portland, OR; Sacramento, CA; Rochester, NY; and now NC).  I always found fantastic food to eat, but never picked up a particular local cuisine that became MINE. 

My heritage is mixed as well.  I am 1/2 Portuguese, 1/6 German; 1/6 Irish, and 1/6 Swiss.  All I really remember about Portuguese food growing up from the ages of 0-7 around my grandparents is Soupage.  My grandfather always put in waaaaay too much mint and I could never get into the soggy bread in the middle.

So, I have basically collected my own set of recipes and a smattering of cookbooks that make up my “cuisine”.  A great example is what I made last night. 

The Lee Bros. ‘Fish Stew Man’s Red Fish Stew’ was a new recipe for me.  Boy was it yummy.  I am a HUGE Cioppino fan and wanted to try out a new version of this – Southern Style.  I got this cookbook for my birthday last summer and have been a little scared of diving in for fear of being overcome with a need to buy 12 gallons of buttermilk and 10 pounds of butter.  But, this recipe was delightful and healthy (except for the fried bacon cubes on top!).   If you are ever looking for that ONE southern cookbook – I would highly recommend it.

Weekly Menu Pad

Okay – here goes!  I have posted the planned menu for my family this week.  Check it out here.   I strive to create a menu for the week ahead (and sometimes 2 weeks) on Sunday afternoons.   With all that is going on in our house each week, there is just no way I could cook without knowing ahead of time what I need to buy, defrost, or prep.

I know this sounds extremely organized and hard, but really it’s not.  Really. 

My husband bought me a pad of paper with the days of the week listed out (yes, he is an engineer too) – it is magnetic and sticks on the fridge as a reminder for me each night of the next days plan.   I basically just take a 1/2 hour Sunday to jot down the meals and then double check the necessary ingredients in the house. 

 I try to also shop that day and get the house fully stocked, but with 2 preschoolers, that rarely happens.  Lotsof the standard ingredients are already stocked in my house.  These items make up a large portion of our weekly meals.  As you will see over time, I have about 15-20 “go-to” recipes that I make often and always keep in the house – just makes life simpler not to start from scratch each night. 

I work 3 days a week (Wednesday – Friday), so I tend to have larger, more involved meals on Sat – Tues.  I save the leftovers or simple meals for the nights I come home from work (Taco’s as an example this week).   A key learning for me, once we had kids, was to not take on too much everyday in the kitchen.  Leftovers ROCK!  It is also perfectly fabulous to insert take out meals in the week if it just feels too overwhelming.  I used to make up meals at the local Dream Dinners meal prep location, but they closed recently and I haven’t found a good substitute, other than making more large-portion meals and freezing them for later.

One BIG piece of advice is to also make a habit of staring at your menu each night before bed.  I do this while we are cleaning up the dishes from the day’s dinner.  That way I can defrost/prep anything for the next night and/or notice if I am out of something I need.  This has saved me huge chunks of time.  And it just takes a minute.

Tomorrow: Red Fish Stew – boy was it yummy…

But I want to slow down.  I want to enjoy more of my life while I am in it.  I want to take turtle steps instead of kangaroo jumping ahead to the next “thing”.   In my “perfect life”, I am living on Bald Head Island, NC and helping to save turtles – all while cooking delicious meals and hanging out on the beach.

I am also a food person.  This is the one area that I am actually slower in than anywhere else in my life.  I take my time when cooking and eating.  I buy local produce/meat/dairy from farmers less than 50 miles away from my house.  I think fast food sucks.  I am a member of the Slow Food Movement in our area and love everything they are doing to promote it.

I want to start a personal chef business at some point in the future that helps people eat healthy, soul-filling, local, yummy food.  I want people to slow down and enjoy the process of fueling their bodies.  I see so many people (Mom’s in particular) that can barely find the time to breathe, let alone plan a menu of meals for their families as they want to.  I want to help them do that.

But not yet.  Right now I am a busy mom of 2 small children that still works part time in the corporate world.  I am taking turtle steps towards launching this business and this blog is one of them.  I am not quite sure what direction this will take, but hope to enjoy the ride wherever it may lead me.