Part II “The Ghost of Cooking Past”

Heirloom baby ruby lettuce ($0.79), pumpkin seeds, steamed beets in fresh squeezed clementine juice w/ olive oil and sea salt

I was in high school before I realized that some people love cooking. I mean I was a TEENAGER before I knew that some people considered cooking an enjoyable artistic, creative endeavor. I thought cooking was something that resulted in swearing, crashing pots, and standoffs between parents and kids at the dinner table. I love my mother and she nourished me very well and I am eternally appreciative, but it was absolutely joyless. Except for chocolate cakes. Delicious. Here is my story of realizing that cooking could be an art form or hobby:

I was a town kid at a very expensive boarding school. My Dad subjected himself to a teaching position that absolutely did not suit him so I could get the best education New Hampshire could provide me. I was a righteous kid and at least graduated Valedictorian. Goody two shoes? Let’s call it “late bloomer”.

Anyway, each year we had “Project Period”. “Project Period” was something that made my prep school stand out as innovative and creative. You could spend 1-3wks doing all sorts of interesting and exotic activities like going to Machu Pichu, rafting the Colorado River, seeing Paris or going on Safari in Kenya. If you happened to be raised by parents who loved having you around, but didn’t have fat wads of cash, you got to choose from things like horseback riding at a local farm, visiting colleges or learning how to cook. You see how it was? Anyway, one year my very best friend Amanda and I signed up to stay in town and cook. You can imagine us just in knots trying to decide “should we go sailing in the Caribbean or stay in town and cook”? Right on. Amanda is the most creative person I know. She is an awesome artist and grew up one of two girls living with her single mother and her artist grandmother. So here we are in a cooking project spear headed by our English teacher, Chris Noll. Son of the Pittsburg Steelers coach Chuck Noll. Chris had quite a following among the debutantes, so there were a bunch of us, some of whom might otherwise have been in more exotic locations. I had never seen a man approach cooking as a genuine desireable activity, except my grandfather who cooked as an extension of his hunting and fishing prowess. I mean, when it was my Dad’s turn to cook he threw together a mean meatloaf, but we begged him not to tell us what was in it. Chris taught us how to use a Wok and create proper Chinese stir frys. When it came to baking day, for some reason, Chris took pity on me and Amanda. Since we both had been baking sh** for years, he decided to teach the junior yacht club how to sweet talk yeast and he let me and Amanda bake our own bread in his apartment kitchen. He said something like “Cooking should be really enjoyable. Glass of good wine and good music. Well, you can’t have wine, but you can use my stereo.” That just shattered my whole image of cooking. “Enjoyable? Music? Wine?” Apparently there is “cooking” and then there is “Cooking”!!

In case you are wondering, the next year for “Project Period” I visited colleges.

Anyway-I’m telling this story for you: My Brothers and Sisters in Charge of Nourishment. Meet your Chris Noll. Turn up your stereo. Find some wine. Give your kid a cookbook and let him pick out a pie with Cherimoyas. Substitute frozen strawberries from Costco. Attitude adjustment.