Cooking from memory

Most of the time, I think although I cook well, that I am a somewhat limited cook. Since I have time these days, and my son keeps asking me to write down recipes so he will have them when he grows up, I began to do just that. In writing down the recipes I have kept in my cooking muscle memory for 20-30 years, I was surprised at how many are there - at least 40 - just be memory.

Then I started reviewing and adding favorite recipes from cookbooks, or ones my mother wrote down for me 20 years ago, or I copied from her books 25 years ago. Then I started adding articles I had clipped from Gourmet, or Bon Appetit, or the New York Times, and it kept going and going.

Probably to more than 200 recipes which I have now added together into a book for my kitchen and for my son. In a form that I can keep adding to it, and perfecting it for years to come.

But in really reviewing all these recipes I can see the evolution of my life, of my health food life, of my cooking life, from very simple recipes to more adventurous recipes that require more thought, skill and concentration, and better kitchen tools and self-confidence.

So, my son and his children (I hope) will have an interesting keepsake, one that will be used and evolve into their own recipes, stores, and history.