THERE MUST BE MORE THAN POT ROAST

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I know that does not sound good.  But that is what Julia liked to do! 

 I was sick a lot as a kid.  The taste memory of crushed aspirin and grape jelly is as vivid as butter on crackers.  My ass was a pin cushion for my doctor's antibiotic shot quotas.  Since (thank God) Oprah as not around , the only options for the black and white TV (a sick kids only reward) were As The World Turns (etc). and public television.  

I chose THE FRENCH CHEF and THE GALLOPING GOURMET.

I am really not sure how a 7 year old found interest in watching "some old lady" cook.   

My mom was a typical suburban housewife cook.  We always had 3 squares.   A lot of meat, potatoes, canned vegetables.  It was all good.  Since my parents both came from poverty, by the time I came along they had moved to the suburbs and a summer treat was T-bone steaks almost every Saturday with a baked potato.     She also joyfully embraced the fast and easy food revolution.  Swansons frozen dinners, Chunky soup, Chef BoyR Dee, and of course Campbells Soups seem to work their way into almost every dish.  Campbells tomato and grilled cheese still sounds good!  We really never fried anything - except liver and onions, which I mysteriously loved.

Fresh fruit and vegetables and herbs were just not that readily available.  The concept of sautéing fresh vegetables and making sauces that didn't come out of a jar seemed fascinating!

While on an expensive company paid trip - we decided to eat at Michelin Star restaurants.  In 1987 over $100 each for dinner was a REAL big deal.  When my sparce serving arrived with three huge scallops sitting in a yellow sauce , my first thought was "that much for this?".  And of course the secondary American response "I don't think that will fill me up".

One little bite of these tender molluscs however, and I heard voices singing.  Yes, the experience was life changing.  For the first time I realized why some meals cost more than others.   The effort to perfectly prepare the dish resulted in a magical blend of fresh ingredients and well honed technique.   I learned how to eat slowly and savor every bite.   The rest of the ten day trip was a culinary delight.

 Ok - I will be thinking differently about food.