I have an embarrassing confession. I feel like I’m in an AA meeting, finally exposing my dirty little secret. Here goes: I had dial-up until recently. I can hear the “ooh and ahhs” and the sarcastic: “Reallys?” Who in their right mind would sit at a computer for half hour while it cranks up, boots, reboots, gargles, goigles and is just plain slow as molasses?
There is no defense. I have no defense. What can I say? So, now that you’ve gotten used to that confession…realize that with only dial-up, I didn’t have cable, either. You try living without cable for as long as I have and you’ll realize what a patient girl I am, albeit crazy.
Imagine how much sooner I would have learned to cook if only I had cable. I am now addicted to the cooking channels which I might add, is where Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome began his prowess…in the kitchen, that is. (For future reference he will be called: Mr. TDH)
Finally, I acquiesced and joined the 21st century and on one frenzied day, I bought a gigantic flatscreen TV (Yes, I had and still have the stone-age televisions with the plastic triangle feature in the back~talk about humble pie!); I threw out the converter box and rabbit ear antennaes---Remember those? They always reminded me of the old sit-com: My Favorite Martian. I called the cable company and not only signed up for cable for the telephone, computer, and television…but also had wi-fi installed.
My head was spinning with all of these great changes and my heart raced with an adrenaline high by evening’s end when everything was installed and up and running.
Who could sleep when I could surf over two thousand channels? Carpal tunnel syndrome was in my future with all the flipping of the stations. So although I may have gotten off to a slow start, within twenty-four hours, I was Technology Central. I still haven’t figured out all the buttons on the cable remote control or why I have two thousand channels and nothing to watch…but that’s another story.
And then, I discovered Create TV
I fell madly in love with Lidia’s Italy featuring: Lidia Bastianich, who ~if you’re reading my blog…I should be so lucky~ had better invite me for dinner. I’m waiting, Lidia. I’M WAITING! But, no…she just teases me at the end of each show saying: “Tutti a Tavola a Mangiare. When, Lidia? When?
And then of course, the gregarious Spaniard Jose’ Andre’s--- has a wonderful cooking show: Made in Spain. While I love, love, love Italian men, I do have a thing for Spanish men-especially after I lived in Spain one summer, taking classes and going on excursions with other students.
The great part about his show, just like Lidia’s, is that besides cooking, he travels to different parts of Spain, taking the viewer along on the trip (she of course- to different regions in Italy) and I reminisce and have wonderful flashbacks about the cities I visited long ago while I learn how to cook authentic Spanish and Italian dishes from the locals themselves.
My first teenage crush was with Fernando, Segovia’s Flamenco guitarist, whose gypsy eyes penetrated mine one night. As he played the Flamenco guitar one evening in a small tavern, his dark, wavy long hair brushed against his unshaven face: left, right, left as his solo began to crescendo and accelerate in speed and intensity. I was hooked.
As a result, I learned to make a mean PAELLA and TORTILLA ESPAÑOLA and think fondly of my days back in Segovia when I’m adding a little saffron to my rice. The aroma of a time long ago fills my senses and I am a nineteen year old girl whose heart thundered when she watched Fernando play the guitar.
It’s funny how a little romance throughout my life turned me into a determined and fine chef. The things that happen when you’re in love.
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