Barto's Basics

First of all, I’m Italian. Food is important to me. Family dinners are important to me.

Second, my parents are both outstanding cooks. And so are most my aunts, uncles and cousins.

I grew up in the kitchen watching and cooking with my parents almost daily.

And also with my grandpa when he decided to tolerate my questions and need to take over his space.

My mom had more cookbooks than I could count, many of which have ended up on the shelves in my pantry.

My dad rarely opened a cookbook – he cooked from memory and most importantly, taste.

Yes, I’m the ‘pinch of this’ and a ‘pinch of that’ kind of cook – I learned from the best.

You won’t see me paint or draw a pretty picture or knit a hat.

You won’t see me make a pretty holiday wreath that Martha Stewart would put in her catalog.

I’m not talented or gifted in those whelms.

But cooking? That’s where I create art.

Full disclosure, I could not beat Bobby Flay. Let’s just get that out of the way.

Cooking though, is where I recognize myself as creative, inventive and where a passion shines through.

For many who are artistic, their work reflects something inside of them.

That’s cooking for me.

What I make for my family reflects a lot of who I am and my personality.

My meals are adaptations of rather basic recipes.

I don’t like following a recipe pound for pound – which drives my husband crazy.

He’s the rule follower and I’m the rebel. In life and in cooking.

For me, cooking is a very intentional way of showing love.

And while I feel comfort in the kitchen and I like to mix it up, I really do keep it basic.

Here are some basic things I’ve come to rely on:

1. Add garlic. Garlic fixes any dish.
2. Cheese will almost always make a dish fancier
3. Season every piece of meat with salt and pepper – on matter the recipe
4. Use flavors/ingredients you know you like
5. Cook bacon under the broiler and save yourself the mess of spatting grease all over the stove and counter
6. Sauté onions, garlic, peppers, mushrooms before you add them to a dish – this brings out so much more flavor
7. Always keep olive oil in the pantry
8. Get comfortable with trial and error. You’ll win some and you’ll lose some
9. Explore substitutes – honey can be subbed for sugar. Saltines in a food processor can sub for breadcrumbs.

My encouragement for you is this: Take a recipe you like and change one ingredient.

Use mozzarella instead of parmesan for milder taste.

Use paprika instead of cayenne pepper so your kids enjoy the dish.

Use plain yogurt instead of sour cream for that game day dip you’re making.

You can do it. You can be creative and basic in the kitchen, too.

Just try it.

And let me know how it goes.