This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
My midlife crisis arrived about twenty years too early. The year was 2001 and I had been working in the modeling industry for almost 15 years — basically since I was a teenager. Modeling afforded me many wonderful opportunities for which I will always be grateful, but it didn’t really fulfill me.
I had always dreamed of going to culinary school, yet the thought of simply abandoning what I had done for so long to start something completely new gave me great anxiety, no matter how determined as I was to find my true calling. I researched several culinary programs but never could commit to do anything more than take a tour. And so there I remained, lost, two years shy of my 30th birthday and entirely too young to be so confused about what I was doing with my life.
I was living in New York back then and had made an appointment one day to see yet another school, the Institute of Culinary Education. The tour date was September 11th and as you can probably figure out for yourself, I did not get to visit the school that day. As it did for many people I know, 9/11 forced me to reexamine my life. I decided within days of that unspeakable tragedy that if I was ever going to follow my dream, that was the moment.
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
I spent the next year as happy as I’ve ever been, working during the day and going to school at night. As hard as it was, I still romanticize that period of my life for the sumptuous meals (my schoolwork) that I would bring home from my classes for my future hubby and I to enjoy late at night after our long days of work and school.
This all finally brings me to the whole reason for the recipe below. While at I.C.E., I was blessed to meet one of the kindest, sweetest, most talented women I know. At a very young age, Sarah Copeland knew exactly what she wanted to be and she made it happen. A veteran of the Food Network, writer, food-expert, urban gardner and co-founder of Share Our Strength’s Good Food Garden’s Campaign, Sarah’s most recent exploit is The Newlywed Cookbook. Not only is this amazing book rich in information and stories, it features tantalizing food photography and delectable recipes which are perfect for both the newbie and experienced cook. Below is one of my many favorites from the book. I made it for Kenya’s snack one day and all the kids (and their moms) went nuts for it.
Rise and Shine Muffins
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and grated (2 cups)
- 1/2 medium zucchini, grated (1 cup)
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 3 large eggs
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- Place the raisins in a small bowl, cover with hot water, and set aside to plump.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.
- Stir in the carrots, zucchini, pecans, and pine nuts.
- In another large bowl whisk together the eggs, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla.
- Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
- Drain the raisins and stir them into the batter.
- Fill greased or paper-lined muffin tin 3/4 full with batter.
- Bake 25 minutes (15 minutes for mini muffins) or until a wooden pick inserted into muffins comes out clean.
- Serve.
- *From The Newlywed Cookbook by Sarah Copeland-reprinted with permission from Chronicle Books
Tacos
My husband is Danish, I don’t know what I first made him, but I know it was something American. Probably cheesey hash. 🙂
The first meal I ever cooked for my husband was pasta with Italian sausage and the most yummy homemade herb bread. The pasta was good, but it was the bread that sealed the deal, we have been married for 7 years and he still remembers that meal!
I made him a steak … with gloves on. I dont eat meat and hate to touch it. Now I keep a box of latex gloves in the kitchen for when I have to handle meat 🙂
We were married in early November and had a destination wedding. We decided that year to have Thanksgiving alone (strange, I know) and that was my very first attempt at making a turkey! It turned out great, but I dropped the pumpkin pie as I was taking it out of the oven. Almost seven years later, my husband still mourns the pie he did not get that year :).
Eggplant Parmesan!
The first thing I made was some “wagon wheel” pasta and garlic bread with jarred sauce. I had no idea he hated pasta. we were married 6 years late and have 2 awesome kids LOL!
I made my hubby the only thing I really knew how to cook- mexican rice and tacos 🙂 I’m so glad I have more than 2 dishes to offer up now!
Beef Wellington 🙂
I think it was lasagna which is still always a hit!
I can’t even remember. Probably Hamburger stroganoff. My favorite….he hates it. I make it and eat it for lunches for a week.
Really terrible meatloaf that was not even edible. I’m a much better cook now!
I made him my eggplant parmesan. He couldn’t get enough!
I made a beef and corn burrito, pretty simple but yummy. I knew mexican food was the way to his heart 🙂 Our favorite thing to do has always been cook together. This would be a fun book for us.
It was a broccoli, ham, and cheese noodle casserole from my Grandma’s cookbook. He loves comfort food!
That’s a tough one, I believe it was pot roast in the slow cooker. He couldn’t get enough of it!