A Blend Of All Things Good

Nothing is more fun than learning to use a new gadget.  Tonight was a night for just that.  Since we didn't manage to make the fruit smoothies yesterday as planned, we decided to make them in addition to the planned tomato soup for dinner.  It just so happened that both recipes called for the use of the blender.  This required a bit of effort on my part since this is probably the least used appliance in my kitchen.  I just don't do blending very often, I guess.
We decided on strawberries, raspberries and blackberries for our fruit and Connor went straight to work on cutting the tops of the strawberries and eating the raspberries as he prepped.  The best part of cooking is the tasting along the way, I think. Connor seems to have picked up on that as well.  The recipe was a simple smoothie with yogurt, fresh fruit and a touch of sugar.  Ice was optional.  They were very good and such a pretty color on a dull gray day like today.  They even smelled like summer! Maybe if we keep making them, it will hurry the warmth along....

Next came the tomato soup.  Again we needed to use the blender to blend the tomatoes into a nice smooth texture.  He also decided we needed to add some of his favorite herb, basil, to the pot just to "kick it up" a bit.  The kitchen smelled amazing as it simmered on the stove.  Of course, we had to have the obvious companion to accompany our soup... grilled cheese sandwiches.  We had a wonderful loaf of sourdough bread from the bakery ready for grilling.
As the soup simmered, Chef clarified for me just what my place was in his kitchen.  "Bus Girl," he says, "make the sandwiches!"   Excuse me?  Bus Girl??  I'm not even a Sous Chef to him?? Bus Girl.  Thats like a level above whale snot, isn't it? I checked over my shoulder to see if someone else had entered the kitchen to start making sandwiches.  It was only me.  I look back at him and see a smirk on his face and he starts to giggle.  What a turd.  He knew what he was saying and what I was thinking.

Being in the kitchen with a 9-year-old brings an entirely different atmosphere to a home.  At least it does in my home.  Connor is very secure in his role as Chef and although he takes his cooking seriously, he never lets the fun disappear from the room.  The music is on, we are singing along and stopping to dance and hip-bump each other.  He cracks jokes, giggles even when they aren't funny, all the while checking the recipe for the next step and tracking on the progress of things cooking.  He even finds it easy to laugh at himself when he makes a mistake or forgets an ingredient. He fixes it and moves along, still singing and enjoying himself.  There are signs of his attention to the chefs he learns from on TV when you observe him absorbed in his tasks.  A pinch of sea salt is added with flair and dropped from a distance, with a flick of the wrist.  All thats missing is the "Bam!"  Smelling whats cooking requires using your hands to bring the aromas to your face as they rise from the pan.  Eyes closed and all.  Its amusing to watch, but I see in him an honest understanding of what he is attempting.  For his part, it's not for show.  It is just the way it's done.  Nothing odd or flashy about it. Its just what a good chef should do.  He is a budding "good chef".

By the way, the soup was wonderful.  The perfect side to some excellent grilled cheese sandwiches.
What?  I'm just saying......