I once told a neighbor that Mike and I love French onion soup, with all the layers of goey carmelized onions, deep brown broth, giant slices of bread and melted gruyere. But sadly, I didn’t make it too often because my kids won’t eat it. She immediately said, “Wow, my kids love onion soup!” Her small daughter, nearby and within listening distance, said, “I don’t like onion soup.” The mom immediately shot back “Yes you DOOO!!”, I guess possibily embarassed that her child wasn’t publicly agreeing with her. But we all have our own tastes, opinions and favorites when it comes to food. The trick is, how to make something that will nourish, fill, and please a crowd without becoming a short order cook?
Some truths I’ve found cooking for my family:
It’s hard to deal with more than one person’s tastes
It’s frustrating to have someone not eat what you make
It’s work to make things interesting, diverse and delicious on a daily basis
A few years ago I set out to make a strange little grouping of likes and dislikes my family has for various courses and food items. I think I started with “greatest hits” —meals we all could eat—and moved into some more nuanced details. It’s something akin to a doodle, it looked like this:
Now I am cooking for 5 (my Grandmother is living with us) and I have a newly minted vegetarian 9-year-old. Grandma’s generally easy to please as long as there are vegetables and bread or potatoes somewhere on the table. The kids are carb lovers and like their veggies as simple as possible with butter and salt. We all enjoy our animal protein and fish but as of about a month ago we can’t place all the emphasis on the protein being the main course as much as we used to. Over the next year I’m going to focus more on food and my love of cooking, being with friends and family and sharing a meal.
This Week’s Dinner Menu
Monday: Make-Your-Own Burritos (refried beans mixed with pinto beans, cilantro, salsa, brown rice, carnitas, shredded cheddar, diced red onion, diced tomatoes)
Tuesday: Potato Leek Soup, Focaccia, Pesto, Side of Broccoli
Wednesday: Make-Your-Own Grain and Veggie bowls (farro, arugula, cheese: [gouda, gruyere, or blue], baby beets, dressing: [buttermilk-herb dressing or balsamic vinegrette], corn, lentils), BBQ-Sriracha meatballs
Thursday: Veggie Gyoza, Stir-fry veggies (cabbage, bell pepper, carrot, onion), rice, seadfood medley (chopped squid & clams); possibly scrambled egg either with veggies, or separate so my vegetarian gets protein
Friday: Chicken Piccata, Roasted Potatoes and Carrots, Warm bean dip with crostini
Currently reading
Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci
Grains for Every Season: Rethinking our Ways with Grains by Joshua McFadden