Cooking

I've never been what you'd call a good cook. When I make things, they always come out OK, but I'm not *good* at cooking. I'm happy to chop veggies, but it takes a while, and I tend to chop too many and more finely than necessary, but here's the thing: I like doing it.

So this weekend while my wife was away, I took the opportunity to make enchiladas for me and the kids. My daughter helped me which definitely made things go faster. These aren't too difficult to make and they taste good. On top of that, it is an excuse to make Mexican fried rice which has sort of become my signature dish.

As you can see, I make a lot. It doesn't take any longer to double the recipe, plus it gets eaten, so it is nice to have a little extra on hand.

Part of the fun of making home-made enchiladas is making home-made corn tortillas. When you use a little masa and your own tortilla press, the tortillas come out soft and easy to work with. They are really a pleasure to roll up into little veggie-and-cheese-filled tubes.

Last night, I chopped onions and peppers and zucchini for some and I used spinach and mushrooms for the rest. I think the spinach ones turned out to be the best. I also like frying up spinach. It's just like letting the air out of it while it is cooking in the pan.

By the time they were ready to put in the oven, it was getting late. Plus, I had quite a mess on my hands, but I could tell that these were going to come out fine. The only part of the meal that wasn't from scratch was the enchilada sauce. But I had a good time with my daughter, and both kids thought the meal was excellent. That's pretty gratifying even if I only make dinner once in a long while.

Occasionally cooking helps me appreciate the mastery my wife has. When I do this, it is like a hobby. She does this daily and so much more efficiently. Every day, she comes up with something for us all to eat. I know it isn't easy.