My midlife crisis arrived about twenty years too early. The year was 2001 and I had been working in the modeling industry for almost 15 years — basically since I was a teenager. Modeling afforded me many wonderful opportunities for which I will always be grateful, but it didn’t really fulfill me.
I had always dreamed of going to culinary school, yet the thought of simply abandoning what I had done for so long to start something completely new gave me great anxiety, no matter how determined as I was to find my true calling. I researched several culinary programs but never could commit to do anything more than take a tour. And so there I remained, lost, two years shy of my 30th birthday and entirely too young to be so confused about what I was doing with my life.
I was living in New York back then and had made an appointment one day to see yet another school, the Institute of Culinary Education. The tour date was September 11th and as you can probably figure out for yourself, I did not get to visit the school that day. As it did for many people I know, 9/11 forced me to reexamine my life. I decided within days of that unspeakable tragedy that if I was ever going to follow my dream, that was the moment.
I spent the next year as happy as I’ve ever been, working during the day and going to school at night. As hard as it was, I still romanticize that period of my life for the sumptuous meals (my schoolwork) that I would bring home from my classes for my future hubby and I to enjoy late at night after our long days of work and school.
This all finally brings me to the whole reason for the recipe below. While at I.C.E., I was blessed to meet one of the kindest, sweetest, most talented women I know. At a very young age, Sarah Copeland knew exactly what she wanted to be and she made it happen. A veteran of the Food Network, writer, food-expert, urban gardner and co-founder of Share Our Strength’s Good Food Garden’s Campaign, Sarah’s most recent exploit is The Newlywed Cookbook. Not only is this amazing book rich in information and stories, it features tantalizing food photography and delectable recipes which are perfect for both the newbie and experienced cook. Below is one of my many favorites from the book. I made it for Kenya’s snack one day and all the kids (and their moms) went nuts for it.
Rise and Shine Muffins
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and grated (2 cups)
- 1/2 medium zucchini, grated (1 cup)
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 3 large eggs
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- Place the raisins in a small bowl, cover with hot water, and set aside to plump.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.
- Stir in the carrots, zucchini, pecans, and pine nuts.
- In another large bowl whisk together the eggs, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla.
- Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
- Drain the raisins and stir them into the batter.
- Fill greased or paper-lined muffin tin 3/4 full with batter.
- Bake 25 minutes (15 minutes for mini muffins) or until a wooden pick inserted into muffins comes out clean.
- Serve.
- *From The Newlywed Cookbook by Sarah Copeland-reprinted with permission from Chronicle Books
I had no idea how to cook, and so out first dinner night at hone together was my husband teaching me how to make spaghetti- I thought he was a chef extraordinaire! Lol! Now he doesn’t even set foot in the kitchen as I’ve grown and flourished in my cooking adventures in our recentely celebrated 13th year of marriage. 😉
The first thing I made for my husband as newlyweds were homemade chicken enchiladas.
Burritos, they are still one of our favourite meals!
One of the first things I tried to make was waffles using our new waffle iron. I had no idea that different oils actually added taste…I used Olive Oil. Enough said.
perogies and cabbage rolls
Sweet potatoe and red lentils soup. We were living in snowy Boulder, Co at the time! We ate it by the fire!
A thai chicken in coconut milk dish
The very first dinner I made my newlywed hubby were chicken tacos, spanish rice and salsa. I had made the salsa too spicy on accident I used habaneros enough said. He gobbled it up like nothing and never said anything about it. I couldn’t even eat it. Years later I find out about it.
I made my husband this terrible shrimp curry that was a complete disaster. He continued dating me, and is now my husband so I must have done something right!
Pizza! Store bought whole wheat crust, fresh cherry tomatoes, basil, red onions, provolone and mozzarela cheese. Needless to say, I used way too much cheese and it covered the baking sheet! It was so delicious though.
The night before the one year anniversary of our first date, I made “Soft Beef Tacos with Salsa” from a bon appetit magazine. He called to say he was running late. I suspected he was ring shopping so I happily let the beef simmer away. He was almost two hours late for dinner, he had indeed been ring shopping as I found out the next night when he proposed. It may not have been the first thing I made for him, but it was definitely the most memorable to me.
The first thing I made was lasagna and garlic bread- I used my mom’s recipe since there is no need to pre-cook the noodles and it was pretty much disaster free and fooled him into thinking I could cook 🙂
oh how my culinary skills have evolved since then 🙂
I cannot honestly remember as he does not cook so I have pretty much made every meal since we got married! I know that his favourite that I make is pork tenderloin with a greek-inspired marinade, with crispy garlic dill potatoes.
does it count if i don’t remember? it’s been 14 years!
Thai-inspired stir-fry! I make my own sauce and it is so darn good (if I may say so). 🙂 when we were dating, we used to make spring rolls all the time together with a yummy peanut & hoisin sauce.
salsa chicken- it was basically chicken breast with a jar of salsa on top!