Cooking - Transition Style

A little of a year ago, I announced my retirement from the world of large scale entertaining cooking. Although this came as a part of my overall transitioning and recognition of the limitations that come with the aging process, it would be a mistake to assume that I gave up cooking. Instead the delight of gastronomy has transitioned as much else has in my life. There is more a focus on how to make a small amount of food taste very good, how to innovate with diet limitations and how to make things that might replace things we would buy.

The emphasis on reducing portion sizes substantially might lead one to not make certain types of foods that can only be done in a large amount like a roast or to not grow certain things because you would have more than you could eat. But I have adjusted by making these things any way and then breaking them down into smaller portions for freezing.

This Labor Day weekend was a case in point as I spent much of Saturday and Sunday doing various types of cooking and food prep. Among other things I:

• Processed many tomatoes into tomato pulp for freezing
• Made pesto from my quantities of basil
• Smoked two racks of ribs to be cut into individual ribs and frozen
• Made a home-made salsa from my plethora of tomatoes
• Made my FIRST EVER cake - an orange flavored Spanish style flourless cake
• Whipped up a dip using the pesto with sour cream

With all the food I had made, we invited our friends Cabinet Lady and Dr. Debbie to come over. They contributed a Greek style orzo salad and a warm German potato salad.

So I may not be doing the mega-entertaining but the cooking continues.