Mear-pwah and mini review of "Notes on Cooking"

Last Night I read Notes on Cooking: A Short Guide to an Essential Craft by Lauren Braun Costello and Russell Reich. Yes, last night- it's a short read, divided into main sections such as "Poultry" and "Sanitation" and further subdivided into numbered "rules".

1.This book is purposefully and refreshingly written in absolutes.
Advice such as 1. Never touch your face while cooking and 2. Always flag your hot pans.

2. This is really the format of the entire book.

3.There are a few other useful sections such as a recommended reading and and afterword from Dorothy Hamilton. And that's D.Hamilton the founder of FCI, not D.Hamill the ice skater. Who, incidentally, inspired millions with her hair and inspired yours truly to skate backwards.
Skate backwards DPO? Piece o' cake. Really, you think so? It's not that easy to learn on reedy town ponds and "the world". For those of you not in the know, The World is a swamplike area across the street fom my cousins' house. It was rife with invisible tree roots who's main goal is to make your brain pop out of your forehead.

Ever play crack the whip? Crack your ass is a more apt descriptor. Sure Mom, that sounds like fun! I wanna know, Why does the baby always have to be the first one sent off into oblivion to eventually fall and break through the ice with her head? Figure you can make some more?! Huh! HUH!!?? Lady, it is a Good thing your consoling hugs are so perfect. Sigh

4. All in all it was a somewhat useful little book for this Amateur Night. Ms. Book was encouraging in a way... to find out that I already practice certain "rules" without being told made me feel that all the experimentin' was worth it. Much like Ikea, this book gives you the very basic tools and instructions and says have at it. That's the way I like it.

Do you think Ikea ever lets their packaging designers out of the sub-basement? How, in the name of all that's holy, do they fit an entire room of furniture into 3 boxes that fits in my tiny car? Give those clever Swedes a Grojkkva*.

5. And who knew that the onion/celery/carrot mix I make has a fancy french name other than merde...
Actually I did know. But. I did not know that the proper ratio of 1:1:2 had a reason other than celery sometimes makes a dish taste weird if you use too much. Mirepoix makes soup stock taste just right and it also adds a little suntin' suntin' to roasts and the like. Apparently you're not supposed to eat it after it's cooked but I'm a peasant so what can I say.

Mirepoix Ratios brought to measurements

Ingredients
1/4 cup diced carrot
1/4 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced onion

I add this to store bought stock to make it tastier and if'n you want a more Cajun flair, substitute green bell pepper for carrot.

Today I am going to start reading The Food of a Younger Land and trying to get my mitts on Essential Knife Skills. I hoping there's a section that will debate the finer points of the shiv. I'll let you know how it turns out.

*Ikean for raise.