Jon, my husband, has always been my muse.  He says things that make me laugh, he provokes me to wonder, to debate, to investigate and, once I officially solidify my thoughts, his supportive nature makes me brave enough to share those thoughts with the world. I’m inspired by his calmness and also by his ability to take a passionate stand. I’m continually surprised by his unique combination of incredible strength, intellectual smarts and AND an ironic inner innocence–this sweet desire to trust, when there’s so much (everywhere) to instigate wariness.

Like just the other day–We were at the airport going to Florida to celebrate my father-in-law’s 89th birthday and Jon says to me “Lauren, do you think they’re going to give us something good for lunch on the plane?” I said …”Jon, they just made us pay $20 extra for each piece of luggage…Do you really think they’re going to “give” us lunch??”

And– when I see Jon eating fruits and vegetables without necessarily washing them first–just “because” they’re labeled “ORGANIC! (Of course, this always drives me crazy…)

Just like when a mother sees a child about to put a dirty grape into their mouth –I immediately feel my adrenals kick in, wanting to protect my husband– So, I’ll blurt “Jon, wash that!” His reply? “Why? It’s organic.” (“Oy vey,” I always say…)

Listen, if you (who are reading this) are anything like Jon–please hear this! Even if you buy vegetables and fruit from a store that swears up and down, all about the purity of the soil used to grow their wares, this has NOTHING to do with the need to wash things before you eat them.  The word “organic” simply indicates that those doing the growing had a certain level of both consciousness and conscientiousness, which is good (very good, indeed!), but that’s ALL it means.

Here are some things that the word “organic” DOES NOT address: The personal hygiene of the people doing the harvesting and packaging, the cleanliness of the floor of the farm-facility (or of the truck) that transports a crop–AND, it also doesn’t relay any information about the integrity of the destination (the place where you’ll make your purchase). And, even if the place is pristine, there is NO WAY to know if, five minutes ago, a person who was standing where you’re standing now was wearing shoes that have remnants of lovely things like dog poop– And, what happens if this person drops a gorgeous head of organic lettuce on the floor–and this person (with the dirty shoes) puts back that head of lettuce to get one that didn’t fall on the floor… (You get the picture).

My apparent paranoia is not unfounded. I’ve been in well-respected “gourmet” shops and have seen merchants place a seeping package of raw pork directly on top of a batch of fresh muffins (unwrapped muffins!)–I’ve seen freshly roasted chickens, sitting out in the open where customers have coughed and/or sneezed directly on top of them and then just walked away–totally oblivious. I’ve seen tubs of peeled garlic fall on the floor, sending the little nuggets all over a dirty floor and then watched, as the shop-keeper simply scooped them up and dropped them right back into their container. Oh, I’ve seen a LOT, trust me.

The point: Although, at times, I do admit that it would be nice to be more like Jon and just assume that produce labeled organic guarantees that it’s spanking clean and ready to meet and greet one’s saliva, I truly don’t suggest it–I do love, though, having a partner that continually keeps my head and heart fully engaged. I guess that’s what having a muse is all about…Laur

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Some of you who are reading this, who have not, as of yet, made shared home-cooked meals a priority, might be thinking that “it’s too late to begin.” I want to encourage you to believe that it’s never too late to begin something—anything—that’s positive.

Regardless of your age, your marital status, the ages of your children or grandchildren, I give you my word, that you will see an immediate shift in “the feeling” in your home, thus in your life, once you decide to cook from a loving, joyful place within you, and then choose to practice that decision religiously, it will become a trusted reality.

When out in the world, no matter how disappointing the day, or how misunderstood your interpersonal exchanges have left you feeling, when you stand in a home that’s filled with the scent of thoughtfully-prepared food cooking, suddenly the world changes. The impossibility of issues that you’ve tagged “out of your control” leaves the forefront of your mind and heart. Things immediately feel safer, softer and warmer, and you are reminded that there are wonderful things in your life to be touched, to be tasted, to be shared, to be grateful for, that are always within your reach. My point is that the kitchen is a perfect place, a sanctuary of sorts, and the wholesome art of cooking is the most amazing vehicle to help you to begin to rebuild and replenish a life that feels pulled and pushed and stretched—even one that’s reached the point of becoming unbearable.

If you can’t get your kids to talk to you openly and honestly, if you secretly feel sorry that you’ve never deemed your sense of “hominess” (your softer side) to be a valuable part of your inner being, if you feel worried that your tallied professional accomplishments might leave you dealing with a pile of private regret, or if your boss doesn’t “get you” and you wish you had a daily way to strengthen your core self, your kitchen can help you to fix all of these things, starting now.

To clarify, this is not about over investing in the act of eating; it is about embracing your nurturing power to make your home into a trusted place that’s deliberately injected with a healing calm. It’s about having a place to connect to those who do “get you,” a place that helps you to feel that you have more control over your quality of life, no matter what the outside world dishes out.

Let me help you to use your kitchen, your magic room, to make your home life as loving, as fortifying and as sensory rich as possible. That’s what my work and life is all about. Please email me at asklauren@laurengroveman.com and share with me the issues that keep you from having the nurturing life that you deserve. That’s the first step to creating a healing home. (Of course, all correspondence is kept confidential!)

And remember—even if your outside life sometimes leaves you feeling excruciatingly small, even you can live a truly gigantic life at home. It’s never too late to begin.

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Often, when a recipe asks for “a large onion chopped,” it can be difficult to decipher just how “large” the author of a recipe means, especially if there’s no net amount of onions given, after chopping. Personally, I use really large onions in my recipes… like this:

Now, THIS is an onion!

To show you how large I mean, compared to something else, take a look…

See how big I mean??

You might not think size matters but, with onions it often does. If, for instance,  you want to garnish something lavishly with sauteed onions, you need to know that onions reduce quite a bit after cooking, so if you don’t start out with one that’s large enough, you might not have enough to do the job.

Also, when onions cook and become tender, their cell walls collapse and the liquid inside the cells is released along with flavor. As they become caramelized, the liquid becomes further reduced, leaving the sugars in the onion flesh to become “candied” from long, slow exposure to heat. So, if your recipe doesn’t call for “large” onions and you use one of these big babes featured in the pictures, you could end up with a savory dish that’s overly sweet.

Although it’s best to give an exact amount in recipes where it counts, this is not always the case.

The point: In my recipes, when I don’t give an exact amount of onions, but I ask for a “large” one in the ingredients list, it means that I want you to really experience the onions as an important component of the dish. So, if you don’t have the really big onions, feel free to use two medium ones. To see a preview of the video where I demonstrate the correct way to chop onions, click here.

Tags: cooking with onions, large onions, onions, recipes with onions

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