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One day, in her local grocery store, Kathleen Flinn started following a woman who had loaded up her shopping cart with a variety of processed foods. She struck up a conversation with the woman, and discovered that the woman simply did not have the basic know-how to cook from scratch at home. Flinn, who trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, offered the woman a tour of the grocery store and some basic instruction on ingredients to buy and how to use them.
That experience led Flinn to invite a group of nine kitchen novices to take part in a series of basic cooking lessons to strengthen their skills in the kitchen, improve their choices at the grocery store, and help them do a better job of planning meals made at home. Today, Flinn's latest book, The Kitchen Counter Cooking School is finally available, and it tells the story of this culinary journey.
It's an engaging read, and includes not only the story of how Kathleen (with the help of some of her chef friends) helped guide the group of fearful or inexperienced cooks through basic cooking lessons, but also a set of basic recipes that any cook should have in their repertoire. Learn more about the book in this video:
I had the opportunity to ask Flinn some questions about the book, her thoughts on cooking, and her tips for facilitating more at-home meals, even when time is tight.
What do you love most about cooking?
I love the creative aspect of cooking, especially after taxing my brain all day doing other things.
What do you love most about teaching others how to cook?
I love to see that moment of “aha!” on a specific technique when someone suddenly gets it. I also love that by teaching, I’m always learning something.
What surprised you the most about the group of students you taught?
That they were brave enough to let a stranger come into their homes, poke around their kitchens and share so much of their lives. I’m eternally grateful to them.
Have you stayed in touch with the students? Though I know you gave a round-up of how they're doing at the end of the book, how are they all doing now?
Yes, I keep in touch with several. I’ve been impressed at how lasting the results were from the project, at least from those with whom I’m still in touch a couple years later.
What are some of your favorite techniques for reducing food waste in your own home kitchen?
Here’s one suggestion. For two weeks, mark all of your food in a fridge with sticky notes with the price of each item. When you throw anything away, collect the notes. You’ll be surprised how much it adds up. You might throw away a head of lettuce and some vegetables with a slight wince and a shrug of regret. But how would you react to tossing a five- or ten-dollar bill in the trash? In a nation of plenty, we have plenty to learn about how to shop and how to cook to use up our leftovers to avoid waste. One thing this experiment usually teaches people is that rather than stocking up, they’re better off shopping more frequently and buying less. It takes a little more time but saves money in the long run.
What are your favorite quick and easy (but home-cooked!) weeknight meals?
I believe in the power of a good pantry. I always keep garlic, onions, celery, carrots and chicken or vegetable stock around. I feel lost without a basil plant on my kitchen window. I keep around various kinds of whole wheat pasta, fast-cooking brown rice, good canned tomatoes, cans of various colored beans (white beans are the household favorite), tinned local clams, frozen wild shrimp and scallops, dried mushrooms, ingredients for curry sauces, anchovies and small doses of high-quality, fresh spices and a couple of kinds of cheese. We keep frozen vegetables and whole wheat tortillas in the freezer. Among those items, I can make a host of quick dinners, such as a Thai vegetable curry, a shrimp and veggie stir-fry, simple pasta dishes or even burritos. Plus, there’s always a simple omelet and a glass of wine.
I loved reading your description of your anniversary trip to Italy with Mike. Are there other culinary destinations on your wish list to travel to together?
Mike loves Thai food, so I think our next trip will
