Sunday, January 13, 2008

It's All in the Wrist

I've been in a cooking rut lately. As I told a new friend in an email today, I used to be inspired to make better food because the group of folks I spent time with focused heavily on eco-eating, vegetarianism, eating locally, and eating whole foods. Less time with like-minded folks and a picky child has me making food that's easier, but often less inspired.

So today, still in the groove from yesterday's wonderful unschooling conference, I decided to take my time in cooking up a marinara sauce. Marinara is not especially unique, but still, I chopped the onions, mushrooms, garlic, and spinach with more intention, keeping in mind the
slow food movement and my own energy that goes into the preparation of this nourishment.

I didn't have any especially good bread on hand, but we find that making toasted garlic bread is a good way to use up the ends of sandwich loaves and other bread odds and ends. The last few times I've done this, however, Jonathan has not been pleased with the results. He makes toasted garlic bread often, and has proclaimed his to be the best.

With that in mind, I set out the ingredients and asked if he would like to make it. I now know that it's not only about the ingredients or how much butter or how much garlic... it's all in the technique.




First you must move the bread to the table so you can elevate yourself far above it.

Then, liberally pour garlic powder so that it rains down upon the slices.


Be sure to get your face right down in it, on occasion, to check your progress.



Continue pouring garlic powder as necessary.

Bon appetit, my friends, bon appetit.


10 comments:

K. said...

Now see, you can always tell the cook from the chef by the level of confidence with which they move about their kitchens. I make that kind of garlic bread, too, but I am just a lowly cook in the universe of Chef Jonathan's Great Garlic Bread. I could NEVER be so bold as to drop garlic powder from such a height. The end result, I feel sure, would not be edible.

BTW, I tagged you for an archive meme. No pressure, do it or not, it's all good.

Stacie said...

Wow, what a little chef! And how cute to stand on a chair and let the garlic "rain" down. My first thought was that if my son was doing that I'd worry about all the garlic getting on the floor, but then I reminded myself that I am trying to relax. (See my latest posts). Good for you for giving him freedom to explore without worrying about messes!

Anonymous said...

love, Love, LOVE the new header. Cooking is so ZEN...I highly recommend it. The taste of J's Garlic bread must be enhanced by the positive ions the spice collects on its downward journey to the bread.

That's my hypothesis and I'm sticking to it!

||| laura frantz ||| said...

I've always made garlic bread at counter-height. Now I see that I've been doing it incorrectly for all of these years. Doh!

Anonymous said...

I've also been fighting off a bad case of cooking rut-itus. I finally had to crack open a cookbook because I was so brain dead.

And I see that I, too, have been making garlic bread incorrectly. From now on, I shall stand on a chair. :)

denise said...

My boys are also of the sprinkle from as high as possible school of food preparation. Works for them! And if they make it, they *might* actually eat it! ;)

kelli said...

ooo, love garlic bread, it looks soo good! And I love your purple wall too :)

Stephanie said...

This is the funniest and the cutest thing!
I am so relieved to see that when they're not at the littlest stage anymore, they are still verra, verra adorable!!
Steph

KMDuff said...

I know the cooking rut of which you speak. I have been in one since we moved a few weeks ago. No desire to cook anything new or different or special.

Cooking with kids is so awesome. Great photo capture.

SabrinaT said...

Isn't it great how children do it their way? I bet the bread turned out great!