So let's get started..

The other night, over a lovely dinner at the end of an early spring evening, Tom, my husband, said, "You know what you should do?  You should start a blog that records what I cook for you."

Now, really, why would I want to do that, I wondered aloud.  "Because", he replied, "I need to be able to remember how I cooked certain things, and since you're the writer, you can record it."

Since I don't remember how much wine I'd consumed at that point, I will allow that perhaps the idea had some cache, and so I mentioned it to my cousin (who is a blogspert in her own right with several blogs of her own), who came over and set me up with this format -- not that I couldn't have figured it out by myself, but it's been years since I gave up the office/computer work and who needs the hassle -- she did it in five minutes.

And so here I am, trying to fill up the blank space in front of me.  Where oh where are we going with this?

Tom and I are foodies, sure enough, but not gourmets.  Over our marriage of over 30 years, we have discovered that we share a passion for good food, good wine, and great company.  Dinnertime is our soft landing place where we disassemble our day, plan and dream, dish the dirt.  Dinnertime is anticipated, and not to be missed.  There are certain rituals (music, setting the table, don't answer the phone) that insulate us from the world at large at least for a short while.  We refuel, refresh, and re-connect.

We relax while banging pots on the stove, share a laugh or two while we slice and dice.  Grab a glass of wine, sometimes we dance.

Hmmm....this does sound rather idyllic, doesn't it?

Well, yes, dammit, it is!  But it took time to get here.

First, we had to learn how to cook.  I relied on a mishmash of cookbooks and magazine recipes interspersed with family favourites.  Tom did his best work in hamburger.  I preferred to bake.  We got by, with one rule I always insisted upon:  cook in season.   And then Tom was inspired during a period of unemployment where he became so bored that he started watching The Urban Peasant, James Barber.  James' simple food philosophy got Tom off the couch and into the kitchen.  After a few successes, a cook was born!  He took over the grocery shopping, my spice rack, the freezer; re-arranged cupboards and his beer fridge.  He flipped through my cookbooks and tried his hand at baking bread.  It was all good, but of course when he got a job the kitchen was relegated back to me.  Actually, we compromised and started a tradition of "handing off the ladle", whereby he would cook from Thanksgiving to Easter, and I filled in from Easter to Thanksgiving (not a bad plan, either, as both of us got a break at least half a year).

And we continued to push ourselves to learn more and improve.  We started going to the Kitchener Farmers' Market every Saturday morning, entertained friends with dinner parties, explored the Liquor stores, checked out new restaurants with exotic cuisines.  I grew an herb garden, he found a spice vendor.  At about the same time, the Food Network was created and the organic craze exploded, and it seemed that suddenly everyone was into food!

Leftover roast beef, gravy, garlic mashed potatoes, and sauteed herbed carrots.

Wine is a spanish tempranillo. Yum!

....So, let's get started with a game plan.  I'll attempt to record the food my husband made for me, so he'll remember how he did it, and maybe, just maybe, we'll all eat well.

By the way, this is photo of a dinner of leftovers, which should always taste as good, or better than, the first time 'round.  These did!