Bury me with my crock pot please

Last night I made the most amazing dish, Stuffed Beef Chile Rellenos. I had just seen Julie and Julia the night before and in it Julia Childs ala Meryl Streep says in that godforsaken high pitched voice, "When presenting your food, never make excuses or apologies, just serve it with confidence."

So last night as I began to serve my food and launch into the usual litany of apologetic phrases, i.e. "It may need more salt" or "I've never done this before" or the most commonly used, "This will probably suck." Julia Child's voice popped in my head and I decided to serve the dish with confidence. I plated it up as though it were artwork that deserved the perfect spotlight. I had my best friend Bambi and my husband there to taste it and even though the evil voice in my head was apologizing profusely, protecting itself from the unforeseen harsh criticism of others, I ignored it and just let the tasting happen.

I was so happy that I did not make any apologies because immediately the table got very quiet and then I heard the sounds that every amateur chef wants to hear: "ooohhhh" "aahhhhh" "oh my..." "Yummmm." It made me so happy to see them happy from something I cooked. It is why I keep going back to try new things. I live for that moment. And I'm glad I didn't let the evil voice in my head ruin it with baseless judgments and meaningless apologies. I just gave into the vulnerability of the moment, when one has no clue how others with perceive her work, yet one risks all and lets people decide on their own. Too esoteric? I know.

Recipe soon to follow.

Thanks for reading.