My Protege

Nothing gives me greater satisfaction than watching a child develop an interest in food and cooking.  My humble beginnings in the kitchen were inspired by my uniquely perfect Jammies later called affectionaly by all of her grandchildren as Grammies. She was my father's mother, hailed from Texas and was not only the most amazing cook but her baked goods were singularly divine.  When I was around six I pulled my stepstool up to her side at the kitchen counter while she rolled out the flakiest pie crust and said, "teach me."  I still don't bake as well as she did but the rest is history and from that day forward I learned to cook from her. 

So it gives me great pleasure that my dear friend, Wendy Plumb's dautghter, Vienna, who at the tender age of four has fallen in love with cooking.  She's a very powerful little girl already and a great beauty with the kind of spunk that reminds me of me at her age.  Since I am always in the kitchen and often cooking for my extended family, the Plumbs, she has taken to showing up, maneuvering a barstool over to the kitchen island and insisting to help with dinner.  She has amazning hand-to-eye coordination and can deftly handle the tasks I give her.  She's a big lover of fresh basil and last Friday night kept pulling leaves from the fresh plant on the counter, shredding them into bits and walking around to each guest saying, "sprinkle, sprinkle."  So cute I almost cried.  She loves making vinaigrette at this point and is an expert at dipping one teeny finger into the dressing and sayiing, "Ummmm good."  She learned the word, "emulsify" recently and I actually believe she knows what it means! 

I told her mum she's going to be a phenomenal cook by the time she's seven.  It's going to be so much fun teaching her and bartering for kisses in exchange for time as my protege.  Vienna, this one's for you!

Love your Auntie Lisa!