We all need an escape from the mundane

I am cooking today. This is far different from fixing supper. Fixing supper is routine and can be done without having to think. I have done it thousands of times. It doesn’t always turn out well. Last week’s grilled cheese sandwiches were a perfect example.

I put some chili on to cook. We always have grilled cheese with chili. I got out three pieces of cheese and unwrapped them. I buttered a piece of bread and was buttering the second slice when I noticed that the bread was a lovely blue. The bread was relocated to the trash, but in the process I accidentally knocked the cheese onto the floor. Did you know that American cheese disintegrates when it is rinsed off?

A new loaf of bread was retrieved from the freezer and three slices were buttered. One slice went into the skillet followed by two pieces of cheese then the top piece of bread. All went well until I flipped the sandwich to find that the bread had folded itself and half the cheese was sticking to the skillet. I have never loved my husband more than when he took that misshapen mess and ate it.

On the other hand, cooking involves recipes and shopping for ingredients. Cooking takes attention, planning and hours of time. It is almost more satisfying than getting lost in a good book. Plus, most recipes make far more than we will eat in one meal so that means fewer meals I have to cook.

The plan is to make chicken etouffee and yeast rolls today. The chicken is a dish I have made many times. Basically, it is chicken and gravy served over rice. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? I spent yesterday afternoon making the broth.

Today I will fry the chicken and wait for it to cool before cutting it up. Then I will saute onions, green pepper and celery in butter. Next comes the gravy and incorporating all the ingredients together. It will take the better part of the day, several pans, lots of utensils and a kitchen appliance or two. It will be worth every minute of effort. No blue bread or cheese is involved.

The yeast rolls will be from a new recipe. It should be a nice counter balance to the spicy etouffee. There is something very satisfying about yeast breads. Combining flour and water with yeast can look like library paste but can result in a soft, fluffy bread or roll. Kneading is a good way to get in a workout without realizing you’re exercising. The grandchildren find it hard to believe that I make bread without them as making bread is one of the special things we do together.

Spending the day in the kitchen will do more than give us leftovers for the rest of the week. It will warm up the house a little. The recent snow has reminded the house that winter is almost here and the resulting cold permeates everything.

Cooking also gets me away from the endless football or other sports on television. Sports are far preferable to the political commentary shows. Sometimes I want to scream at both sides to just shut up.

Cooking not only gets me away from the television, it brings me into a separate world. I have to concentrate on what I’m doing and not worry that I only have three people checked off my Christmas list. Spending the afternoon in the kitchen keeps me off the snowy roads. It lets me avoid housework and anything else I don’t want to do. For me, it’s a form of escape.

We all need to escape now and then. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.