When it comes to things I enjoy few come second to sitting down with my family over plates of food that have taken time, effort and thought to prepare; thanking god for our many blessings and allowing the day to present itself through communication as we individually experienced it. This ritual of the family not only nourishes our body with the food we need but our souls with thanks and appreciation.
Food That Nourishes Our Bodies and Souls.
The thought process behind nightly dinners as a family usually begins a few days prior. I attempt to plan out what Ingredients it will take to create food that will delight the stomachs of my children, my wife and me. Sometimes I undertake this endeavor alone and sometimes I will take everyone with me for input. The only problem with taking everyone and their input you often end up with the same menu of their favorite dishes repeated over and over. .
The order of vegetables always goes from fresh is best to canned are last. If it is possible to avoid processed that is always best in my book. Meat and fish are supposed to come from a deli where there is a butcher to consult on the preparation and cut you are looking for. You may be amazed at how much they can tell you about what you think you know, though I must admit butchers are becoming a lost art.
Combining these things is where my enjoyment really begins. I usually have a few unskilled hands wanting to take part in this process with small children this is inevitable but still a joyous occasion at that. Seasoning seems to be the key to any meal in my house and it has been a long road of trial, error and observation that has taught me what seasoning goes with what and what seasonings absolutely do not go with what. Each meal I cook is designed with at least three parts to begin with as they are conceived in my head; protein, starch, vegetable. Though they may grow from there they rarely shrink. Managing the completion of these three parts in a similar timeframe is always the greatest challenge and does not always work how I plan.