Look, Mom! I'm cooking!

Dear Mom,

Remember how worried you were about me when I was a teenager? I never wanted to sew or cook, or do much of anything else that fell under the "domestic" umbrella. I'm sure you were worried because I never wanted to make cookies or help you make dinner. I bet you were very disappointed when I would have to call you asking how to bake a potato or boil an egg. These days are passing, I promise! I know that you are aware that I am becoming a better cook, but I still feel the need to post you of my progress on occasion. :) And by the way- I promise to help with Thanksgiving dinner this year.

Tonight I made Melissa Gibby Smith's recipe for Coconut Chicken Curry. The prep work took a while. I minced fresh garlic, parsley and even fresh ginger root. Speaking of the ginger root, I did not know what this was, having never used it before in a form any other than McCormick (and the slices next to my sushi). A nice lady at our tiny grocery store helped me locate it after I realized I couldn't reach you via your cell phone (you were in Banff).

Have you ever used cardamom pods? I had never heard of them before. I thought about calling you to find out what they were exactly and how I could find them- but then I again remembered that you were in Banff. Sigh. After an exhaustive search of 2 stores and many blank stares in response to my inquiries, I finally managed to locate them ($10 a bottle!!). Cardamom pods are very interesting. I broke them open and took out the tiny black seeds. They have a really strong smell. Delicious!

You can imagine my disappointment when I learned this afternoon that I had mistakenly omitted the coconut milk from my grocery shopping list yesterday. I thought that maybe you were back from Banff and considered calling your cell phone, but then I realized it was only 2pm PST and you would still not be home. SIGH. I was still determined to make this dinner. I looked up a homemade coconut milk recipe online and made it from the shredded coconut I had on hand. All by myself! It turned out just fine. You would have been proud.

I made naan, too. Have you ever had Indian bread? It was relatively easy and foolproof, but it did involve kneading and rising. Not overly complicated, but I did make it from scratch. They were yummy, fast & easy.

Finally- I have a good husband, Mom. He insists on doing the dishes every time I make him dinner. He is always so sweet. I always make him do the "fun" stuff when we are cooking, like getting down the pots and pans from above the fridge because I am too short to get them myself, or re-chopping the almonds because I burned them the first time. He's always patient with my requests. He takes care of me. I hope you & Dad know this.

I can't wait for you to be back within cell-phone range. It is when you are gone that I realize how much I still depend on my mom. Thanks for being so patient.

Love, Kathryn