Gather around the table
When I was in college, my dad said, “You should probably learn how to cook.”
English lit major that I was, I replied: “Anyone who can read can cook.”
That was 45 years ago, but the line stuck with me, and it has mostly served me well. So here I am, Clark County, ready to meet in the kitchen and share ideas with you.
When my sons were growing up, I worked as a copy editor for The Columbian. That was when the paper was an afternoon product, so I was home in the evening to cook meals — and supervise homework — for my family. Two of the boys grew up chopping, mixing and sauteing with me. The oldest was scholarly and not so interested. The boys have their own kitchens now, and they come up with food memories from time to time — like the time John hid a whole clove of garlic in the spaghetti sauce just to see who would bite into it. (Ruben, his younger brother, was the winner, but there was a scene.)
My spaghetti sauce has evolved, they say, but that’s for another blog post. Right now, my husband and I are experimenting with Vietnamese recipes, which I’ll talk about next time. Until then, cheers!
Janet Cleaveland
What happens when a retired journalist spends a lot more time in the kitchen than in past years? She tries new dishes and jumps at the chance to write a blog about food, family and good times. My kids are grown now, but I'll be looking back at how they learned to cook, what recipes my husband (the Intrepid One) and I are experimenting with, and how food and conversation make for happy times in the kitchen. I worked for The Columbian for 15 years as a copy editor and another 10 elsewhere, though I didn't start out as a journalist. I thought I wanted to teach English literature. My husband grew up in Clark County, and I've lived here since 1983. My kids have grown and left home. Like my husband of 52 years, our adopted chocolate Lab would never pass up a chance for a tasty meal.