Elise’s mom in the kitchen (more photos)

I was recently asked to write about what I’ve learned from my mother about cooking. Since I cook with my mom almost every day, this wasn’t a difficult exercise. I’m still learning from her, though now occasionally she learns something from me too. ;-)

My mother is one of those intuitive cooks in the kitchen. 73 years old, and having raised six kids, she doesn’t follow recipes anymore. If you watch her while she cooks, the timing just appears to happen seamlessly. Whereas I’m good for only making one dish at a time, mom can coordinate a whole meal for 8 – a main course protein, one or two veggie sides, a starch, and a salad – without getting remotely flustered. She’s always tasting whatever she is cooking, and adjusting the seasonings. She cooks from memory and a well developed sense of what works together well, and how flavors come in balance.

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