The Job of Cooking - #1

A new once-in-a-while feature of Daddy's Roses - The Job of Cooking - debuts today.

I never could relate to a book titled The Joy of Cooking! The only way the words "joy" and "cooking" could be in the same sentence, in my world, would be something like this: "The joy of my life is my mama's cooking!" However, as the Checkers ad says, "Ya gotta eat"; so, like it or not, somebody's gotta cook. So I covered up that ol' lyin' y with a nice honest b, and this feature on Daddy's Roses is more properly titled The Job of Cooking.

Most family cooks want to provide nutritious meals for the family without spending unwarrented time in the kitchen, and most of us are tired of eating out, driving through, taking out, and ordering in. In The Job of Cooking I plan to offer tips from an experienced housewife/cook/chauffer/teacher/cleaning lady/dishwasher/general flunkie (in other words, a MOM) whose philosophy includes the belief that food is intended to provide nutrition and health, not necessarily enjoyment, delight, or entertainment. So without further ado (drum roll followed by an imperative call from the trumpet) -- ta da........ Here is the first edition of The Job of Cooking:

Cooking Tip #1: Assume that every family member helps with the meal. Children as young as 3 (and husbands) can take some responsibility. Even if this is not helpful at first, it establishes a healthy attitude about family responsibilities, and will eventually simplify the process and make it more enjoyable.