Claire and Cooking: The evolution of our love-hate relationship.

My name is Claire and I love food. I have loved food for as long as I can remember. I love thinking about food, reading about food, talking about food, and looking at pictures of food. I also love eating food, which is both a blessing and a curse. Notice I have not mentioned cooking food. Well, of course I love to cook food, but cooking and I have developed a love-hate relationship, for reasons both logistical and, to some degree, age related.

I have been cooking for almost as long as I have been eating. My first, and perhaps only, formal cooking lesson came when I was about seven years old. My father had bought me a shiny new Betty Crocker Boys and Girls cookbook. I remember standing on a chair at the kitchen sink scrubbing and carefully peeling carrots for what would become Sunny Carrots. The cookbook remains a favourite of mine. Carrots, alas, do not.

Throughout my teens I became an avid baker and cook. What started as an experiment with the cake mix aisle of our local Dominion store evolved into Sundays spent baking breads, cakes and whatever else I fancied from scratch. I suppose I became quite good at it, and it certainly was more fun, and more immediately rewarding, than studying.

A few years later I found myself with a husband and children who seemed to like being fed. At a stage when I had plenty of time on my hands, and appreciative mouths to feed, I rose to the task and blossomed as a cook. The daily round of three meals and regular cookie-baking sessions weren't enough for me, and for a few years I took to making peach chutney, preserving summer's bounty and handing out homemade chocolate truffles now and again. In a moment of madness I once made my own canned salsa. It seems ridiculous now, when there is perfectly good product on the shelves and all I have to do is part with a few dollars. Never again the hours of peeling and seeding tomatoes. Why didn't I know about surgical gloves then?

As the nest emptied out, and I rejoined the workforce, my love of cooking waned. A combination of having a little less time, being a bit more tired, and having fewer people at the table has changed our relationship. It's not that I don't still love cooking, it's just that I don't always WANT to cook. We still eat, of course, and quite well, but I prefer that meal preparation not take too long, nor,above all, dirty too many pots and pans. I know for a fact that I am not alone. During my work week I meet many people who make the same noises; love to cook, used to cook, don't always want to cook any more.

Claire's Good Food is intended as a catalogue of recipes and ideas for those who feel like I do. For those who like food, feel the need to eat, but don't always want to cook, or perhaps haven't learned much about how to cook, I hope help is found here. For those who do love to cook, and still cook avidly, I think you'll find a few things to add to your collection. And when your friends and family gather and you are really in the mood send them home full and happy, I've got that covered, too.

Enjoy.

Simple Recipes and Food Tips for Real Life

My name is Claire and I'm a bit of a cheater.  I masquerade as a great cook.  I am an experienced self-taught cook, but I don't think I'm a great cook. I cheat and make it look that way. I can make a fairly decent weekday dinner when there seems to be nothing in the fridge, and I've hosted many a dinner party on a budget, which looks like it cost a fortune. I figure it's time to share my secrets and recipes. 

I started this website so that I can help others become cheaters too.  On this site you will find recipes for simple everyday main dishes and side dishes that will make you look like you gave it more than five minutes of thought.  If you're having a dinner party or buffet for friends I can help you look like you spent a lot and worked for days, and if you're a novice cook, I think I can help you move beyond boxed mac and cheese and look like you know what you're doing until you do.

Much of being a cheater depends on being prepared. People joke about being able to create a meal from an onion and a can of beer, but that's a bit of a stretch. The fact is you're going to need a few basics on hand, and I will help with that.  If you're one of those busy people (and who isn't)  who invites a crowd of people for dinner and then thinks "what have I done?", you're likely to need some help with planning and you'll find it here.

Happy cooking.

Claire.