The Apple and the Tree

Everyone knows my mom is a phenomenal cook. I mean, she is probably the best cook I know. She can whip things up from scratch or from a package with the same speed and ease. She alters even the simplest of recipes to suit her/our needs and makes it taste better. She has cooked dinner almost every day of my childhood, even after a long day of (and drive home from) work.

This brings up a great question... Does the apple fall far from the tree?

I'd like to think I'm getting to be a good cook. I am to the point now where I can follow just about any recipe and can even create some of the more complex dishes you see in cookbooks and online. But I'm not to my mom's caliber yet. I am just now starting to dabble in creating my own concoctions and with altering recipes.

Tonight, I made New York Strip steak (sans outdoor grill since we live in an apartment), macaroni and cheese, and homemade french fries. It was pretty good considering the obstacles! The steak took way longer than online forums suggested - cooking steak inside is always a challenge. Then I burned my hand on the skillet. Yeah, you shouldn't really grab a hot skillet by the metal handle. The lessons about avoiding burns are lessons I have yet to learn. I seem to burn my hand all the time.

I'm pretty proud of myself for tonight too. Phillip usually helps me cook because he really enjoys it. And I do too except when he speaks in a foreign accent and calls himself chef Felipe. But when I cook all by myself, I feel the most proud.

Basically, I deserve a trophy or a cookie or an appletini with a bubble bath or something.

Did you see what I did there? The apple theme in the post? Yep, tying it all back in. Apparently, I'm pretty good at being clever as well.