Cooking through the Decades: How my Cooking Style has Changed with Time

  I began my interest in cooking at ten in Chester, South Carolina. It started with my mother allowing me to help her with family meals. Learning to cook in the South meant frying and using lots of butter.  I learned many different recipes and techniques from other women in my family. I remember picking blackberries with my aunt Gracie. Then we returned to the house, washed them, and made a cobbler.

I came from a large family of nine people. So, I learned how to cook large meals. Then, when I got married, I struggled to cook for two people. I eventually got the hang of it. I loved cooking for my husband; he ate everything that I cooked, even though I’m sure that I cooked a few meals that could have been tastier. At this point in my cooking journey, I started experimenting. I used many different spices and cooked new foods I had never tried. Then, children came along, and I had to start cooking large volumes again. I had two boys who loved to eat everything. (It’s like cooking for nine again!) I also loved baking, especially from scratch. The boys would help me in the kitchen. It was mainly to eat the cookie dough.

It was after ten years of marriage that my husband developed celiac (wheat allergy). So, I had to learn all the wheat words and change how I baked for him. Today, after figuring out many substitutions, sausage gravy biscuits are a regular in our house. Figuring out how to use the different types of flour has been difficult. I was finding what worked best. He developed an allergy to dairy a few years later. So, we had to reread labels and learn all the terminology for dairy. Then came the corn allergy. That one was a bit more severe. Then came the peanut allergy. Again, this one was more severe than the wheat and the dairy. Lastly, he developed a sensitivity to nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, etc.). This took a lot of his favorite foods out of the picture.

I often get questions like, “What do you feed him, cardboard?” He eats fresh meat, most vegetables, and fruits. Because of his allergies, I constantly learn new ways to cook things he likes. He is not the only one that makes it hard. I also have health issues that have led me to change the way I think about food. I prioritize the nutritional value of my food over satisfying my cravings. I started this new journey in November. These are changes in my cooking that I will make permanent. Even my two teenage boys enjoy the new foods I am cooking.

Please do not think we only eat healthy foods now and deprive ourselves of the food we enjoy. We still eat things we love. We might change the way we cook it or exercise portion control. It has been a lot of fun learning new things about food.  I hope this inspires you to try new ways to cook or try new foods. If you have any questions or comments, please get in touch with me.