Kendra Nordin, Neighbor

Like most of us in JP, I have a tiny, tiny kitchen. But that doesn’t stop me from making a huge mess as I try out new dishes and return to familiar favorites.

I am constantly trying to convince my friends (men and women) of all ages that you need to cook for yourself. It will make you feel cared for and eventually you’ll start inviting people over and caring for them because, hey, everyone has to eat, right? Cooking and sharing a meal is an act of creativity that everyone should do every single day. (OK, try for once or twice a week at least.) Light some candles, set fresh flowers on the table – this stuff feeds the soul, I swear, even if it is just you and a feline circling around your ankles or sitting on the placemat next to you, gazing into your eyes.

The best inspiration for cooking is to keep a full pantry. Seriously. If you have 3 eggs, tired bagged bread, and a handful of withered baby carrots in your ‘fridge, it ain’t gonna happen. Buying a few fresh ingredients on your walk home from work each day is a simple trick to get you really cooking. And yes, this is a good metaphor for life, too. Keep it fresh and toss what isn’t useful.

So walk away from that microwave and get those pots bubbling and roll out some dough for perfect scones. It will put a spring in your step and a whistle on your lips.

When I am away from my kitchen I am editing and sometimes writing for The Christian Science Monitor. This also means that newly released cookbooks frequently cross my desk, and if they interest me, I’ll post a review. I also review books about food and produce a food blog for CSMonitor.com called Stir It Up!

Most of the recipes here were inspired or adapted from other recipes I’ve come across (the first hurdle was just to get cooking, let alone create something completely original). I’ve attributed the sources as necessary.

Yours in good taste,

Kendra

p.s. Want to be in touch? Send me an e-mail at kitchenreport@yahoo.com