My Most Rewarding Hobby

As a kid I would sit on the bar stool across from my mom, and watch her form the meat patties with her hands. Mushing and mashing, forming and shaping the ground beef into saucers, or tightly formed spheres filled with rice, or pineapple. This was if I wasn't busy running around the yard. My mom is probably the best cook I know, and it's most likely the same for the rest of you. Every one's own mother is the best cook to them, and so being a slave to trends, my mom's cooking is too.

I always watched my mom slaving in the kitchen for hours on end, producing meals that always seemed to hit the spot. I didn't always pay attention however, and since I've been living on my own for nearly three years now I wish I had. After picking up a ball and chain for myself, and spending weekends at her house, or a friends in town, I realized I needed to bring the element of home cooked meals into the scene. With little experience, other than peering over my mom's shoulder while standing on the kitchen stool as a kid, I knew I had a big hill to climb.

The first thing I needed to learn how to make was breakfast. Being hungover and to tired to drive out to McDonalds for the early morning dollar menu was certainly not my idea of a wonderful morning by any means. But never cooking eggs in my 21 years of existence, I was now cracking them over a hot stove and giving it my best shot. The first attempt would've been better if I had put a skillet on the stove top before spilling egg guts all over it. And after finally figuring out how to turn on the gas stove, I had figured out how to cook eggs in one sitting. I'm a natural.

The rest of breakfast came easy thanks to my good friends at Bisquick or any other just add water, stir, poor and cook pancake company out there. About the only thing I had experience on before this, was grilling. Because it's in my gene-o's for one, and for two, my dad had allowed me to burn my eye brows off once or twice while flipping steaks or hot dogs. Lunch and dinner were now covered. Though holding a beer and a pair of tongs while watching an open flame char a hot dog, or hamburger is probably one of the most exciting things I can think about doing right now, I knew that those two meals would not be enough variety. Not too mention, that even though I didn't miss not being at home, I sure miss my mom's meals.



I asked my mom to send me some of my favorite recipes of hers, and that I was going to give them my best attempt. This is kind of a scary thing, because attempting to do something yourself that you love, but you love it because it's made my another; you just don't want to ruin that sort of thing altogether. So despite my reservations (which since I have some I shouldn't be cooking-in anyways, but rather eating out), about possibly ruining the tastes of home, the memories of loving meals from my mother, I gave it my best shot. I cooked the Taco's that I used to adore, and love as a child. It was messy, and time consuming. But I wanted it to be perfect, leave it no error, and that I had done everything just right. Including annoying my mother with call after call makings sure I was doing every step right. They came out as good as they could've for my first time. And though they weren't the exact taste of home, they were pretty damn good.

The confidence from being able to cook eggs, even if they we're only at the ability level of scrambled, mixed with this new ability to come semi-close to making food similar to my mom's, I was now more excited about giving other things a try. I started small, not trying to make any French roasted duck or Sushi, and since my mom doesn't make that stuff anyways I began with; Enchilada Casserole, and Hawaiian Meatballs and BBQ Beef Sandwiches. I started making all the meals I missed eating in California, at home, my Mom's. Even the simplest things, like Chicken Breasts, or my mom's Holiday Chili were on my new list of wonderful cooking. Cooking that involved usually just my girlfriend and I, or maybe some other guests. A great team Gina and I had become in doing all of this, and an even more skilled cook I was turning out to be.

In less than a few tries, my food was tasting just like my mom's. Gina would usually do the dishes, which I was most thankful for. But we'd chop things together, as well as shop for ingredients and a good bottle of wine. She'd make her favorite sides, and we'd experiment, talk to my mom and hers, getting pointers left and right, and making our own meals to eat on the 'table from the lake cabin' Gina had from Wisconsin. My meals reminding me of my youth, her red-edged, gray table reminding her of hers. This new hobby, this new fun, is now more rewarding than any other hobby I have ever had or tried. It's brought team building into my new relationship, along with a stuffed belly of my mom's food and great experiences all around.



I have to be so very thankful for giving it a shot and taking that chance. For Scott and Tommy letting me destroy their kitchen over and over again, and being the best of critics in my pursuit of creating a meal more like the one from home. Cooking is now not only a hobby of mine, but it's somewhat of a passion. I miss it like I miss only much of dearest home. I can't wait to grill some brats at John and Mollee's, or set off the fire alarm at Gina's. After a year of not cooking, I have a lot of catching up to. So stalk your wines, and grab a knife and fork. Stuff that napkin in your shirt, and buckle up, because I'm gonna cook, you're going to eat, and you're going to like.


BAM- Emerald Agassi