Cooking

Your first reaction should be something like: "What the fuck was he thinking?" In what universe does that look good? It just goes to show you that the DILLIGAF title of this blog is correct. I was going to cook the family Chinese and they had bought me some cooking clothes. By golly I was going to wear them for the family. 
When you retire you have to think of things to do for that eight or nine hours every day you went off to do that thing you did. In the Spring, Summer and Fall I have plenty of  outdoors work to do. Winter, well that is another story. I am not a big fan of working out in cold weather. I can, I just don't like it. Some guys want to cut firewood in the winter. I want to cut it  in the other three seasons and sit by the fireplace in the winter. Well to fill some of those winter hours I have offered to take over the cooking duties at home. Carol is happy to go to her quilt room in the basement and cut fabric and sew all day. I have no problem grabbing a cook book and trying to make something. Today's experiment in culinary mastery was home made pasta. Carol had gotten me a Kitchen Aide stand mixer earlier this year and noted the other day that the pasta making attachment had never been used. I am normally oblivious to hints note the famous gas conversation of years past. Carol: "The price of gas is $2.55 per gallon." Jeff: "I see that." Carol when we get home says: "Why didn't you buy gas? I told you it was $2.55 a gallon." Jeff: "I am a man. I need direct communication. When a man wants to buy gas and his wife is driving he says something direct like, let's stop and fill the gas tank." It has taken many years but now I understand when she says things like that. So today I got out the pasta maker and the recipe book and did my best to figure out how to make pasta. The main lesson learned was when the book says 4 large eggs (7/8 of a cup) that you ignore the 4 large egg part and crack enough eggs to get 7/8 of a cup. The second thing I learned was that you need to put the pasta maker on the mixer according to the box instructions. It is really not possible to make pasta when the mechanism is  spinning around like a top.  Once those problems were overcome I managed to make some decent pasta and get it cut into spaghetti strands. Fresh pasta is nothing like the dried pasta you buy at the store. It cooked in boiling water in about 3 minutes. It was light and mild and to my surprise quite tasty. My next attempt will include making home made meatballs and my own sauce.
So my advice. If you are looking for something to do and you are a bit bored, take a cooking class or two. I am up to five and have enjoyed them all. Get in the kitchen and make something good for lunch or supper. If it ends up in complete failure there is always a McDonald's close by. That is of course if you want to call that crap they serve food.
On a final note, when someone wants to take your picture go for the gold medal. You may just be able to use it in a blog 20 years or so later.