The Age of Beginning Forgetfulness

For the second time, that I can remember anyhow, I lost my way while preparing a dish for dinner.  The is a very simple dish.  Prepared it a ka-zillion times for my children and more for my grandchildren.  It isn't important what the dish was as it is the emotion of my moment. 

When you have done something so simple, so routinely, without even having to think about it, actions as smooth as silk, then wham! what a minute this isn't right.  It hits you like a light going out in a dark room.  Like a loud sound in a quiet place.  I went about the movements of preparations, but I knew something was wrong.  I was almost at the end, but it wasn't right, why did I proceed like this?  It's not right but what is wrong?  Time passed, I don't know how long, but enough I knew as the dinner was almost ready, I had done something wrong.  I was able to recoup the recipe from the recipe file which is stored in my brain - I don't write my favorite recipes down, I just know how to do it - never measuring, just know from looking. 

This dish is a simple one, easy to fix, and in the end, it was as it should be.  But, I know the forgetting is only the beginning. 

The other recipe is my mom and dad's famous chili recipe.  I have forgotten it.  This was a recipe created by my mom and dad to serve in the restaurant they owned as I was growing up.  The recipe is nothing like any you'd find in a recipe book or on line.  It was my mom and dad's recipe.  I tried making it the other day, but it wasn't right.  It was horrible.  And, you know you can only serve chili to your family so often.  I will keep trying.

And yes, I have started writing my recipes down.  I don't type them out, I write them down and I'll tell you why.  I have a huge binder, well actually several, with recipes from my girlfriends and from family members including my mom.  Some are typed and many are written.  You can tell the ones I've used more often than others by the food stains on the cards or the pieces of papers.  And, I even have pieces of paper without any title on the ingredients, some have cooking temps and others don't.  If you have the knack for cooking and baking you know automatically what temp to use, but not if you are "forgetful."  So I want my recipes written so when my family goes through my recipes they will remember my handwriting and this will bring back the memories.