The Art of Cooking

I am fortunate to know many artists. These folks share some common characteristics. They are passionate about what they do. They don't follow rules. They share their gifts.

Jenn is an artist in several areas. For obvious reasons, one of my favorite forms of her art is her cooking. When it comes to cooking and baking, she is a true artist.

How does she approach cooking?

She researches
Jenn peruses magazines and tunes into the food network. She even gleaned inspiration from Cook or Be Cooked for Wii. Jenn does the work necessary to learn different techniques and gain new ideas.

She experiments
Most anyone can follow a recipe if they really try. (Okay, some people really cannot follow a recipe, and they should probably stay away from the kitchen. ) Jenn, however, makes nearly every recipe her own. Tonight, for example, she is making Shepherd's Pie. She was not pleased by the quantity of butter in the recipe and is going to try lowering it with some strategies. She is frequently modifying recipes to reduce calories and fat. (Of course, this is difficult with cookies!) Among other areas, she also experiments with color, texture, and seasoning.

She gives
Probably the most delightful thing about Jenn and her art is that she gives. Just this morning, she asked me to invite Troy over for dinner on Wednesday night. She invited her brother as well. When I went to Bremen a few weeks ago for work, she sent cookies for Mom and Dad.

So for my part, I do the dishes and step in on an as-needed basis to chop vegetables and help with cookies. Okay, she used my idea for pears in the salad this week, too! :)