Introduction

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

 

I just joined and am looking forward to the list and getting some great

recipes. I also have many myself that I would love to share.

 

I'm 45, divorced for two years with part time parenting of two children: a

boy, 11, and a girl 8. I have been vegetarian for about 18 years and am

almost vegan. I live near Boulder, Colorado which has a huge veggie

population, two Wild Oats stores and a Whole food stores so this place is

very veg friendly.

 

When I was married my then wife stayed at home and did all the cooking. When

we separated three years ago one of the first questions my children asked

about coming over to my place (I moved out) was " Dad, are we going to starve

to death? " They were totally serious and I realized that they had never seen

me cook. My cooking was not a concept that they could understand at the time

so they were afraid they were not going to get anything to eat when they were

at my home. So I took it as a challenge and I feel now, three years later,

that I am an accomplished cook. I spent the first year doing almost

exclusively Indian cooking and feel I have a good grasp of what the spices

are all about and can whip something up from scratch.

 

I have entertained quite a bit, something that was never done in my marriage.

Many of my friends are die hard omnivores but I have changed many a

perception of veggieness by letting them taste what veg cooking is all about.

Many of them still had the notion of rabbit food as being the staple in the

veg diet. Nothing teaches better than example and a well fed tummy speaks

louder and clearer than even the best Roman orator. None of them have

converted, which is not really my intent, but many have changed their diet to

include veg meals.

 

My kids and I, especially in that first year where I was trying new recipe

after new recipe, we have a tradition that when I cook something new we take

a few bites then put our fists in the middle of the table and do the

Siskel-Ebert thing. I usually would get a thumbs up but sometimes I would get

a thumbs down or a thumbs sideways. So we had fun with it. The other day, one

of my prouder moments, my son made the comment after we started to dig into a

potato/cauliflower curry with parathas that no one at school eats like we do

and that this was very special. Boy did I smile ear to ear.

 

Ok, enough bragging. I believe I have a lot to learn but I also feel like I

can contribute to the group, so I am looking forward to both.

 

Thanks,

 

Bill.