It has been almost a year since we were introduced to the words “shelter in place”. For many of us, this was our first experience with hunkering down at home. Although Tess and I are homebodies, and generally look at life from a glass half-full perspective, the shift was immediate and dramatic, and we, along with so many others, stood in our respective kitchens and thought – now what?
With our regular routines out the window, we quickly embraced whatever normality and comfort we could muster for our reunited family of six. This meant sitting down nightly to a satisfying meal around our family table (which is a white oak high-top and the one piece of furniture, if forced to choose, that we would all save in a house fire).
Dinnertime in our home has always been a time to reconnect, and now more than ever connections are precious. Regardless of work, school or sports schedules, we have always gathered for an evening meal. Sometimes we convened earlier or later then normal, and some meals were quick – while we lingered over others. Either way, that tradition helped us weather this past year and have some fun in meantime.
So let us introduce ourselves! We are a mother (Kim) and daughter (Tess) who connected in the kitchen – where else? – during an otherwise interesting time in our lives. Tess has been a fixture at the kitchen island since she was little, so her transition into taking part behind the counter was almost guaranteed. She would sit on her stool, while working on homework or projects while I prepared dinner. The two of us would plan for upcoming holidays or talk through the family dramas of the day…honestly whatever came to mind! Conversation always flowed in every direction (more recently, with glasses of wine in hand).
Once Tess made the switch and donned an apron for herself, there was no turning back! We quickly discovered how well we worked together in the kitchen, and in that discovery, realized that we have our own personal affinities that the other…well…might not be as gifted in. I love adding a pinch of salt here and a dash of spice there, which are the main foundations of a great meal but the enemy of a perfectly measured baked good. Tess, on the other hand, enjoys the precise ratios of flour to sugar and the intricacies of making dough.
So, we had a perfect match!
Now, what once was a one-man-band in front of the stove is a two-some that truly can’t be broken up anytime soon (largely because I need her for that dough, haha!). Our epiphany has created hundreds of meals over the course of this past year that we never could have imagined to make at home, and we hope that through this blog we can share those recipes, learning curves, and experiences with you!
If you take anything away from this “get to know us” introductory post, know that cooking is more than just putting a meal on the table in our eyes. It’s a collaborative, challenging, and invigorating project that we hope you all will trust us to impart to you. Food is a worldwide passion just waiting to be explored! So, if we’ve learned anything from 2020 and the beginning of 2021, it’s that MOMENTS are meant to be cherished and life is unexpected, so have fun with it and get ready for everything we have to share!
xoxo Kim and Tess
