Taking on the mysteries of cooking

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Have you noticed the growing number of shelves bulging with

cookbooks at your favorite bookstore? Seems you can learn to

tantalize your taste buds with dishes to cure your arthritis, enchant

your lover and even make your kids behave. From Mediterranean

Masterpieces to Transylvania Temptations, you can eat your way around

the planet and do more than just tame those nasty hunger pangs.

And what about those glossy foodie magazines? Ever tried one of

those recipes for a three-course, low-fat meal in 30 minutes? I’ve

spied more than a few of them dangling from magnets on people’s

refrigerators, minus tell-tale water spills and grease smears. Many

of these recipes are excellent, but don’t expect the finished product

on your table to resemble the one in the oh-so-slick photo.

Summer re-runs and 24-hour talking heads on television are getting

boring. Unless they’re really into baseball, lots of people are

surfing the channels and discovering cooking shows, where even the

most jaded foodie can learn a thing or two. What could be more

reassuring than Martha Stewart’s serious monotone preaching that

raisin bread crafted into the shape of your pet pooch is “a good

thing.” (You may not want to take stock tips from the old girl, but

she really knows her way around the kitchen.) Do you know how to

select the perfect omelet pan from the mind-boggling assortment of

cookware out there? What exactly is the difference between

“non-stick” and “no-stick?” Are you a little overwhelmed by those new

(and very expensive) gadgets and small appliances, like coffee pots

that even grind the beans? Will they just become space-hogs and dust

collectors on the kitchen counter, or will they transform you into

the next Julia Child or Alice Waters?

And, where have all those no-nonsense supermarkets gone? From the

north end of town to the south, they’ve morphed into temples of

gastronomic delights that feel more like the West Side of L.A. than

our tiny seaside village.

These drastic remodels were driven by marketing gurus who have

been keeping track of the magazines we read and peeking into our

grocery carts.

They know gooey macaroni and cheese is no longer a “comfort food”

option for anyone over the age of six. They know we’re developing a

serious multi-ethnic palate, are interested in eating well and we’re

learning to cook it ourselves. And, they want to sell us everything

we need.

I’ve taken a very informal survey and discovered they’re right.

More moms are trading the workplace for the local playground. More

than a few high-power executives are abandoning their corner office

for a computer in the spare bedroom. They have the luxury of

wandering into the kitchen at lunchtime to grate, mince and marinade

ingredients for dinner at 7 p.m.

And lots of people with traditional work schedules, are willing to

forgo Saturday morning at the mall for a trip to the farmers market.

They’re discovering the simple pleasure of simmering a pot of

homemade spaghetti sauce or retrieving a properly inflated chocolate

souffle from the oven.

Well-seasoned home cooks consider time in the kitchen a delicious

hobby, a way to please the ones they love with healthy meals, minus

those nasty additives and excess grams of fat. More than a few admit

working in the kitchen is the best form of therapy yet. And, there’s

a growing flock of Emerging Epicures out there - watching television

cooking shows, reading food magazines and ready to use something in

their kitchens besides the microwave.

I look forward to sharing my thoughts about food and everything

related to preparing it with you. I’ll answer questions and hope we

can exchange recipes, cooking techniques and comments about

cookbooks. We’ll talk to the experts, local chefs and explore sources

for the tastiest olive oil, freshest produce and most versatile

frying pan. We’ll find out what’s available right here in town.

Maybe the die-hard cooking-phobics will be tempted to linger a

while longer in their kitchens.

My European-born mother was convinced the best way to make a

friend was to give them something good to eat. This is her recipe for

banana bread - perfect for this time of year when the fruit becomes

over-ripe while you’re looking at it. Make more than one loaf to

freeze. I’ve tried lots of other recipes but keep coming back to this

one. I hope you will too.

MAMA’S BANANA BREAD

Cream together:

1/2 c. softened sweet butter

1 c. white sugar 1/2 c. brown sugar (Remove lumps, if any.)

Add and blend well:

2 beaten eggs

1 c. mashed ripe bananas

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix in:

1 1/2 c. flour, sifted with 1 tsp. baking soda and a pinch of salt

If desired, add 1/2 c. chopped walnuts and/or golden raisins Pour

into greased and floured loaf pan and bake at 375 degrees for one

hour (less for convection ovens) Note: You can double recipe and use

three small loaf pans.

* LILLIAN REITER is a Laguna Beach resident and a self-described

“shameless foodie.” She is currently co-authoring a cookbook. She can

be reached at [email protected] or P.O. Box 248, Laguna Beach,

CA 92652, or via fax at 494-8979.