07/27/2026
Included on my daughter Josephine’s summer bucket list was “cook a whole dinner for my family”. I *did* slice the garlic but that was because as I was laying out all of the ingredients for her, I went into auto drive, but she stopped me (actually she came in and threw a pre-teen mini fit, but that’s neither here nor there. We both apologized). Other than slicing garlic, Joey did it all with some oversight and instruction. She even salted the pasta water before I reminded her.
ANYWAY. 3 things this short video proves:
1: My hoagie mouth has gotten intense. Every time I think I have a non regional accent, I see a video of myself and get checked HARD. I blame my husband. I swear that I didn’t used to sound like this.
2. You can cook professionally for a living and still have a 5 year old who says, “that smell makes my tummy sick”. Don’t take it personally. 5 year olds are dumb. Just give them the Dino nuggs with a children’s vitamin chaser, and save the argument for something more important.
3. Anyone can cook a great meal. My 12 year old made an EXCELLENT Italian American style crab gravy. She tested it and (correctly) said that she thought it was a little too “acid-y” and that she liked when it was a little sweeter. This proves that ANYONE CAN COOK! All that’s required is a small amount of interest (trust me, her interest is very small; I was thrilled by all of this) and more importantly, trusting your palate. You know what you like! And if you’re not sure what you really like, start trying all different kinds of foods and taking mental notes about what sticks out to you.
Anyway, that’s all, goodnight! I hope you trust yourself to make a great meal, and you share it with people that you love. xoxo
(Crabs and Spags for life)
