On a powered site in our caravan we can grill, microwave, fry, roast, boil, bake and barbecue. We are not lost for equipment. We can cook in many ways. The caravan, although only containing a small work space, does not prevent food preparation and creation.
However I am loath to say culinary masterpieces have been few and far between since I have retired. I don’t want to grill, microwave, fry, boil or bake. I just want Peter to barbecue. Outside. Unfortunately the weather hasn’t always played along with this scheme and neither has the equipment. I mention also, neither has Peter.
I have had to, to survive, involve myself in daily culinary arts. I frequently chop, peel, season, sautee, mash and drain in a small area using a, some would say limited, number of bowls and pans. So far when executing the actions connected to these verbs I have not burnt myself, anyone else or set the caravan on fire. We were talking to a man not long ago who was on his second caravan. He had left a hot pan of oil unattended in his first one with disastrous results.
Daily cooking can be a chore but recently I have been interacting with food ingredients in a slightly different way. I have been recreating my mothers recipes and had almost forgotten the actions connected to ‘cream the sugar and butter’ and ‘fold in gently’. Family members have helped with some recreations as I no longer own a mixer or a food processor. I have enjoyed matching old recipes with old ancestors to create a small family history booklet.
It has been fun reacquainting myself with the actions connected to the verbs mixing, rolling, kneading, creaming and sifting. However on reflection I still really prefer the verbs such as flip or rotate, which suggest outside cooking.