INTRODUCTION
Organizing the kitchen
drawer as a kid, although one
assumes it would have been more helpful
if I was not in the drawer.
As
a small child living in America, my mother often found me
sitting in a kitchen drawer or on the floor surrounded by the
contents of the kitchen cupboards. During these early years I
found the kitchen fascinating.
When
we moved to Africa, I was just seven years old and could barely
see over the counter. It was in the warmth of Africa that my
love for cooking was born. I started cooking basic foods and
creating simple recipes.
Often
on the way home from school, I would dream of what we would cook
for dinner. My father and I took over the cooking when my mother
returned to college and it was at that time I became serious
about writing down our family recipes.
The
natural landscape in Africa lent itself to exploration. We would
find ourselves picking pomegranates off a large bush on the walk
home from school or checking to see if the passion fruit had
ripened in the arbor.
On
summer vacations my father would take us all to the beach where
we would spend time swimming, cooking and enjoying life. I think
fondly of those days when my father would pick fresh ripe guavas
and cook
them in sugar syrup. We would then make a homemade custard sauce
to drizzle over the fruit.
Africa
was a magical land filled with succulent fruits and fresh picked
vegetables. My father, being a natural at farming, planted rows
of tomatoes, corn and squash wherever we lived. We had a city or
country garden wherever his work took him. When he wasn’t out
teaching or building, he spent time gardening.
The
taste of fresh-shelled peas still makes me think of sitting out
in the sunshine on the back steps. It was a charmed life and now
seems only to be the dream of a barefoot girl running on the
warm earth.
My
cooking teacher in high school was also very influential in
developing my love for cooking. I listened to her every
instruction and absorbed her precise directions. I learned to
make a basic white sauce and soon macaroni and cheese became a
favorite as I took home recipes to try them out on my willing
family.
My
Grandma Clarice also showed me many of her cooking secrets.
After living in Africa, I came to America and lived at her home
during summer and winter vacations.
I
will never forget how my grandmother gently reminded me to
listen to her precise instructions. I later learned these were
some of her secrets. I have tried to include everything she ever
taught me in this cookbook.
Her
kitchen cupboards were filled with bottles of herbs and spices.
While helping her cook, I started to write down the herbs she
used.
When
I purchased the same herbs and incorporated them in my own
recipes, I loved the results.
I
wanted to know how these herbs and spices were grown, where they
came from and why they made foods so delicious. Later, I grew my
own herbs, except my cats also took a liking to nibbling on
them.
Travel
has also influenced my love of cooking. One year while visiting
France with my friend Terri, we visited a quaint French bakery
and I realized that the choux pastry my grandmother had taught
me to make was French. While exploring the seaside shops selling
olive oils and garlic, I felt a connection to the Mediterranean
and was so at home with the cooking.
Soon
after my trip overseas I asked my grandmother to see pictures of
my family I had not seen while living overseas. My grandfather
looked French and my grandmother revealed that in fact he was.
I
then discovered that my great, great, great grandfather was born
in Rheims, France. It
was then time to learn how to make Tarte Tatin! A recipe I now
have at my website.
I
hope by writing this book I can share my love of cooking with
you, your family and friends. Writing this cookbook has been a
journey for me.
Seasoned
with Love contains over 30 years of my own cooking experience
and hundreds of years combined cooking experience in many of the
time-tested selections.
There
are twelve chapters filled with recipes inspired by America,
Africa, Germany, France, England, Russia, Poland, Hungary,
Italy, Spain, Austria, Sweden, Hawaii, England, the
Mediterranean, the Middle East, India, Japan, Ireland, Scotland,
Ancient Rome, Greece, China, Scandinavia, Thailand and many
more…
I
hope you will enjoy recipes inspired by over 40 countries and
cultures. Sample the exotic flavors of India in a curry, the
traditional fare from an American picnic and tantalizing
pastries from France.
Thank
you for purchasing this cookbook. I wish you the very best as
you prepare meals for those you love.
The recipes are listed in alphabetical order within each
chapter so you can find favorites fast.
Please
see the first page of www.seasonedwithlove.com for current
contact information. I am happy to answer questions about life,
cooking, this cookbook or the Seasoned with Love website.
Warmest
Regards,
Rebecca
Johnson, M.Ed.
www.SeasonedwithLove.com
Acknowledgments
Acknowledgements
This
cookbook would not exist without the influence of my Grandma
Clarice. She showed me the secrets of creative cooking and
pastry making. I will always be grateful for her inspiration and
love.
I
would like to especially thank Jay Lane who was an absolute
angel to me. She guided me through the initial process of
putting this book together. I will be eternally indebted to her
for her patience, insight and superb editing of my first
manuscript.
To
all my friends and family, I would like to thank you for your
patience and understanding. Your support and enthusiasm for this
project kept me writing.
I send my gratitude to
all the people I have met in my life who unselfishly gave of
their time to teach me about cooking. You have enriched my life
and I know you are cooking with me in spirit.
Grandma Clarice with her
famous Apple Pie
Copyright
© 2003 www.SeasonedwithLove.com
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