That is a great quote. Easier said than done. I’ve been wanting to write this cookbook for awhile now. I’ve talked about it a couple times to my family and friends. Took some pictures of foods on instagram. Selected which recipes of my mom’s I want in it. Now the hard part comes.
Maybe I just was over ambitious in trying to make 3 Lao dishes from my cookbook in one day, but I am tired. Unmotivated…and really in need of a sous chef. This is not my day job. I am in no way a chef. I like to call myself a ninja cook in training. I’m fearless, and I like a challenge in the kitchen, but I’ve never cooked in a restaurant. Everything I’ve done is more along the lines of cooking for people in their homes as a gift, or creating menus and catering small events for my friends.
That being said, of course I have my doubts. This cookbook has grown into something more than just a small keepsake for myself and my future kids. People noticed there was a void in the world of Lao cooking, when I mentioned I was working on a cookbook, they wanted in. But “in” meaning they wanted a copy. Putting more pressure on me to make sure my measurements, timing, methods and writing were correct, and easy enough for someone else to pick up and make themselves. If you can read, you can cook. That is not always true. People can read, but can they REALLY read? Think about that one.
Time is of the essence. I have a full time career. It’s not a job, it’s a career. Meaning I am in an office somewhere during prime natural light for photographing, and I come home tired. A lot of the time I just want to come home, kick off my shoes, shower and go to bed. But nope, there’s a puppy that needs attention and some tummies to be fed. Lao food can be pretty time consuming. Mom’s are usually home all day cooking and preparing this food for their husbands and children. So that means, I can only do this on weekends. Along with my household chores, and anything else I need to get done.
Don’t get me wrong. I love cooking. I usually have weekday meals planned to cook, maybe twice a week! Basically I am writing this because I feel like I failed. I failed to measure my ingredients, so that I could write it into my cookbook for you to cook. I cook with my eyes, and my tongue and my nose. I cook with heart, and it’s so hard to tell you exact measurements of my food. I cook until its delicious. I am going to be making and tweaking and testing and writing these recipes over and over…I’m already sick of pho, nam, beef jerky and sausages. Somebody come eat this stuff!
I always have so much going on, because I like it, but sometimes I wonder what projects are worth continuing. Currently I’ve got, cookbook, miemonster chronicles, and organizing and decluttering my home so I could host more food events. I might not sound like a lot, but mix that in with all the cooking, photographing (that I really need to get on), designing, writing, and training a puppy that is constantly terrorizing my shoes, but is so darn cute its hard to punish him, oh and working 40+ hrs week…*shakes head* oh and contributing content to other blogs…yeah its a lot. But I’m happy and I love it. Wait was this a venting post?
I used to write this blog for Cece, now I’m writing it for Kristina too. My sorority little sister, who says I need to write longer posts (how’s this one for ya kid?) She’s made me rethink about the direction of my blog. Perfect timing too, since Miemonster Chronicles will be turning 2 in a couple weeks! How will we celebrate?!
