How we’re raised with food has a huge impact on how we eat and cook as adults. We’ve embraced a lot from our pasts but we’re also attempting to break bad habits, too. Here’s some more info about our histories with food.
The Pickle was raised by country folk who grew and canned a lot of their food. The Pickle’s family is used to good southern home-cooking that feeds a large family. Recycling, repurposing and reusing aren’t modern “green” ideas for the Pickle’s fam; it’s a way of life. They’ve not only taught me a great deal about gardening and cooking but The Pickle has inherited a lot of this knowledge. So while I do most of the cooking, he’s well versed in flavors and techniques.
My parents were upwardly mobile east coast suburbanites who lived far away from their families. My house had a mason Dixon line so when Mom cooked, it was some strange mixture of northern and southern techniques and always in small portions to feed our small family.
When I was about 8 my folks got divorced. So for the latter part of my childhood, I was raised by a busy, dedicated single mom who didn’t have time to cook anything that didn’t come out of a box. So for the first half of my life, I thought high-fructose corn syrup and massive sodium content were indicators of good flavor. I had to teach myself most everything and my cooking didn’t really start to blossom until I met The Pickle and started cooking for two.
Together, we make an odd couple where food is concerned. Many of my favorite foods are his least favorite and vice versa. But most important for us is that food is fresh, as local as possible, as chemical free as possible and cooked at home. When we did our first joint budget, it became quite clear that we were throwing our money down the drain by eating out, when we could save so much by simply cooking in.
We still keep room in our budget to eat out once a week with our friends. It’s a tradition that’s been going on for over 6 years. When we do go out, we eat local because we believe in supporting local businesses. Oklahoma City is growing culturally by leaps and bounds and our incredible local restaurant industry is a huge part of that. Pickle and I are immensely proud to support the economic, educational and cultural growth of our unique city.
So this is our journey to keep our kitchen active, to enjoy a pint with good friends and to explore the many roles that food plays in our lives. We’re figuring it out as we go along and you’re welcome to join us!
