It was during a conversation with Annie.  It was an offhanded remark about not cooking for yourself that started me thinking. Mimi has lived without my Grandfather – affectionately as Bumpy – for 18 years. More, if you count those years as she spent watching him slip away. She cared for him every waking hour at the hospital in the years leading up to his death. They were married over 60 years. Still, at 98, she has more years living with him than alone. There isn’t a day that goes by without her thinking of him.

When I met CF I was enchanted by his knowledge and passion for cooking. Nothing was too complicated but always fresh and good. My earliest and favorite recollections revolve around my favorite pasta dish, brownies, and a little camper grill my mother gave us. We set it on the fire escape of our apartment in New York and would grill fish that would be garnished with one of his signature salsas. Mango was my favorite. We would go to Union Square and buy fresh local produce, buy the evening meal, have a glass of wine and stroll back to our apartment (if you could call it that) in Grammercy Park. They were special days – ones to last a lifetime and gave us a memorable start. One of those starts that builds a great foundation and grounds you when looking back on dreams you built together.

I think it is like that for Mimi. She married Bumpy when she was very young – and they built a life, the memories of which fill her days now. The things she loves, she still loves. One understands the word “painstaking” as she manages to slip them into the realities of her world as it is today.

And so, when Annie said, “one doesn’t cook for oneself ” I thought of my grandmother.   Project Mimi has put me in touch with many different things, but in this particular case it made me question – why not cook for oneself?   Mimi would, if she could. CF did, when he needed to. Why not me?

I just purchased a rice cooker on a whim. Truthfully, I purchased it because I saw a recipe for Oreo Rice pudding that I thought would be great fun to make with Ellie. You might remember from one of the holiday posts of 2012 that a little sister was a possibility for her. And that possibility became a reality mid January when we welcomed Colbie.   An exciting and busy time for them, although it seems all of the PM crew started the New Year full throttle. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind and a quiet Saturday night at home sounded perfect. And that is how I decided to make Mushroom Risotto for myself.

The rice cooker made it super easy and I was able to finish a few projects while it cooked. I had treated myself to two dozen white roses. My mother has always said, “there is nothing better than having flowers in the house”.   There are always flowers in her house and I don’t do it nearly enough. I relished the time to pour myself a glass of wine and enjoy the art of cooking. I settled into the prep work with a relaxed and easy pace – focusing on something other than what usually occupies my thoughts and listening to some great music courtesy of CF.

And for my effort, I had a lovely meal, some beautiful flowers, an early bedtime, a sense of accomplishment and some great memories inspired by Mimi.

Follow the PM crew as we take on 2013 with adventure, friendship and food.