Eating Good In The Neighboorhood

Many of you who have eaten something that I have cooked before have worried about mine and Ryan's nourishment without someone to cook for us. I can bake, but I was lacking in the area of 'real' food. My specialties consisted of Macaroni and Cheese and Tuna Patties. That may sound gross, but I promise it is good. However, it is not exactly something that one could have for dinner on a nightly basis.

This is strange because I come from a legacy of wonderful cooks. My mother and grandmother are spectacular in the kitchen! I was wondering why I had not inherited this trait.

Ryan and I received many wonderful cookbooks as wedding gifts. One is particularly great for me because it explains what a 'pinch of salt' and a 'dash of sugar' actually are.

This is beneficial because whenever I call my grandmother and ask for cooking instructions, she is great to give them to me, but sometimes I am left wondering what she meant when she said 'a little bit of milk and a pinch of salt.' How much is a little bit? That could really vary between people! But now I have an index for these questions.

Another of the books is called Peace Meals. It has exquisitely beautiful pictures of the food, and being the aesthetic person that I am, this encourages my cooking gene.

So, all of that being said, I have taken a leap of faith and tried out several new recipes. As of yet, I haven't even purchased one single can of tuna since we got married, and I only bought one box of Macaroni and Cheese--as a back up or on a comfort food night.

On a typical evening, Ryan grills whatever type of meat we are having on our awesome indoor counter top grill, and I make the side dishes.

Last night was our best creation yet. We had Grilled Tilapia with a wonderful lemon-creole seasoning that Ryan came up with, Home-made Mashed Potatoes (thanks for the Milnot, Mom!), and a Champagne Feta Cheese Asparagus and Tomato Salad. I included a picture for proof!