Keep it simple S'pid

Charles and I love to cook, and each of us has our own dishes that we are best at. He can make a pie in which each bite will melt in your mouth, and the crust is so light and flaky it's as though angels themselves are born of it.

I, sadly do not posses that talent. I overwork the crust, and the resulting toughness is lacking in taste and fulfillment. However, I can make an appetizer or dish that will leave you wanting for more. As in life, our cooking abilities complement each other.

One thing that we have in common is a disdain for pompous recipes. Ones that are for simple everyday staples that are written such that even experienced cooks become lost in the unnecessary verbiage and drawn-out processes. Like the one for making simple white rice that requires "rinsing the rice in several changes of water until it the water is clear and sweet". To that Charles noted on the side of the recipe 'Rinse the damn rice.'

It's a running theme for us when it comes to cooking; Keep It Simple, follow your gut, and make it with love. This approach applies whether it's in how we cook, or in how we live life, and we have a tendency to point out the 'fluff' we run across, almost mocking it really.

We look to each other for our strengths and support each other in our weaknesses. In this case, it was on how to cook fresh green beans, as they were part of our weekly produce delivery. Since Charles has had better luck with them than I have, I sought his opinion when making them for dinner one night.

"Hey Charles, what's the best way to cook green beans?"

"Beans in a big bowl, no water, covered, microwave on fresh veggies selection. Remove when the final countdown occurs for maximum crunch."

"Thanks love!"

"I think that's a recipe, Post it! Oh, wait. You need some more steps like "rinse the beans using only purified water, and trim each to exactly 1.73 inches."

I think I might keep him around awhile longer.