February 26, 2008
Jenn Cooks
It’s hard to believe, but just a few months ago my friend Jenn confessed that she can’t cook. Nah, it wasn’t hard to believe that she couldn’t cook then - people aren’t born knowing how to saute and braise, after all. What’s hard to believe is that that was just a few months ago. See, Jenn is a pretty determined gal, and she made up her mind that she was going to learn how to fend for herself in the kitchen. She started Jenn Cooks less than six months ago, inviting us to share her learning-to-cook experience. The progress she’s made in that short time is what’s so amazing.
One of the earliest recipes she shared was for The Best Lasagna Ever. Now, I don’t know about you, but if I were advising a new-ish cook, lasagna would not be near the top of my list for recipes to try. I haven’t made a lasagna myself in quite a few years, just because it’s so complicated. Jenn didn’t ask for my advice though and that’s a good thing. She served up a successful lasagna (well, it had a few problems, but was successful by the time it got to the table) and got some well-earned compliments. Don’t listen to old fogies who say “you can’t, Jenn.” They’d be wrong. You can!
She’s mastered quite a few recipes since those early days, including a White Chicken Parmesan and a Turtle Pumpkin Pie, both of which I plan on trying out in my own kitchen sometime soon. She’s got more than just recipes on her blog, though. I really enjoy her bento posts. Bentos are a part of everyday life in Hawaii and have become trendy on the mainland in recent years. Don’t let the trendiness fool you - they’re a fun and practical way to pack and transport meals. Jenn has a cute collection of bento boxes and has some fun putting together creative lunches for work.
Go visit Jenn. You’ll find some great recipes, a few that didn’t work out so well, and a gal who knows how to have fun with food. If you have a recipe you think she should try, submit it to her Recipe Challenge and she just might take you up on it!
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February 27th, 2008 at 10:01 am, valmg Says:
So how would a Hawaiian native describe a bento? I’ve been seeing mentions of these all over the web for a couple of months now and I’m not getting it. Aren’t they basically containers for leftovers?
February 28th, 2008 at 1:14 pm, skeet Says:
I suppose that bento boxes could be used for leftovers, Val, but that’s not how we most frequently see them in Hawaii. Bentos here are fresh meals created specifically to pack and transport. I’ll try to get some pictures soon so I can do a post on local bentos.
April 1st, 2008 at 4:11 pm, skeet’s stuff » Convenience store bento Says:
[…] I reviewed my friend Jennifer’s cooking blog a while back I discussed her bento box posts. Val thought bentos were leftovers and I told her […]