Inspiration: My Husband

In honour of our second wedding anniversary that’s just around the corner, this post is dedicated to J, the best husband I could possibly ask for.

There are a number of reasons that I got into the kitchen, but chiefly among them is J. He is most definitely the catalyst. What started as an, “Ohmigod. What can I make for this guy that’s not Chunky Soup?” has morphed into a consuming passion. For that, I have my husband to thank.

J can cook anything. Of this, I am entirely convinced. He has a way around the kitchen that is at ease. He is a master at looking in the fridge, assessing what he has and creating something totally delicious. He’s also a very patient teacher: it took at least six months to convince me to use something larger than a steak knife to do the prep work for dinner, but he never pushed me or made fun of me. He knew I’d come into it on my own and hey, in the meantime, we were having a hell of a good time cookin’ up whatever came to mind.  So not only can he cook anything, he gives you the confidence and the tools (sometimes literally) to do the same.

We made a lot of pasta in those early days, but entrees were not the only thing in J’s repertoire. For years, I heard about his cheesecake-making abilities. See, I love cheesecake. Way more than I should. And when said cheesecake was delivered I…well…I ate more than my fair share. He was not exaggerating: that cheesecake was freaking great. In addition to the so-good-oh-my-god-you-need-to-make-that-weekly desserts, he has also mastered omelets (tricky, since I’m really picky about my eggs), tortillas from scratch, powder buns (they’re like Belizean scones with nutmeg & raisins), any pasta dish you can throw at him and anything for the barbecue. Or perhaps you’d like chicken en papillote? Perfectly grilled steak? Juicy, roasted halibut? Done, done and done.

Then there’s the cornbread. It is THE best cornbread I’ve ever had, bar none. It’s got that beautiful, crispy crust on the outside from the hot, buttered cast iron pan. It’s best screamingly hot out of the oven, filled with cheese, green onion, creamed corn and a few other things that make it in there. We have been known to devour half a pan in one sitting. This stuff is evil and may actually be better than his cheesecake. Maybe. I’ll have to keep sampling both – for years and years – to come to a definitive conclusion.

The best part of all this is sharing and enjoying his enthusiasm for food. It’s infectious. He’s up for trying just about anything and will encourage you to do the same. This is a big reason why I’ve gone from chicken or pasta dishes only when dining out to the occasional veal cheeks, alligator and oysters.

Needless to say, I plan to eat well for the rest of my life. Some of this food I plan to have made for me by chefs; some I will cook myself. But the meals I look forward to most are those cooked by a man who loves to cook, who puts his heart into his food and who inspires others to do the same. Lucky me!