Adventures in aging with intention
Journey along with our resident humorist Nancy as she embarks on unusual adventures from A to Z. With the alphabet as her guide to new experiences, Nancy rates her excursions as a “Fourn-Yay” or “Fourn-Nay.” Got something fun on your bucket list she should try? We’d love to hear your suggestions at intentfullyfit@gmail.com.
Letter N — Nothing like family fun in the kitchen
“You eat with your eyes,” said Chef Marissa Martinez, encouraging us to make our noodles as aesthetically pleasing as possible.
We are trying our best, but we are rookies at making fettuccine and spaghetti noodles and some of them appear, well…wonky. Fortunately, Marissa had also supplied us with parsley for a garnish, so that final touch is a welcome distraction from any malformed pasta.
Taking a cooking course was a first for our family, and I was pleased everyone was up for it. I did some research on local cooking classes and Seasoned By Marissa had good reviews, plus a friend’s family photo was on her website. With my friend’s recommendation, I booked the class.
While my girls had both taken a cooking class in middle school, and we had baked Christmas cookies together forever, there had never been any formal instruction. Since I don’t like cooking (I can follow a recipe, but I’d rather clean than cook), I figured this was a good chance to get my daughters more involved and confident in their culinary skills. OK, and maybe increase my skills while we were at it.
My husband entered the class with confidence as he is the primary shopper and chef in our house, a title which I have gratefully relinquished to him.
As we stepped into the kitchen, my daughters quickly paired up at one table while my husband and I settled into the other. Marissa went through the basics of the equipment, the recipe, and how the session would unfold. As an added touch, she keyed up an inspiring Italian soundtrack with hits like “That’s Amore.” I think our pasta was better as a result of the ambiance.
Making the noodles was surprisingly easy. But then anything is easy when you have a Le Cordon Bleu graduate guiding your creations. “If it’s too sticky, you could add some more flour.” “You know when it’s ready, when it bounces back, when you press on it.” “Almost there…knead it a little more.”
Once our dough was set, we let it rest and started on the garlic cream sauce. All our ingredients were laid out and Marissa guided us on each step. As she went, she gave us tips to make the process easier and answered basic questions.
My younger daughter asked, “What’s the best way to cut an onion?” I figured she would have seen one of the million tutorials on TikTok, but asking a chef in person was far better. And yes, I learned a better and safer way, too.
With our sauce simmering, the noodle-making commenced. My husband tried to make it a competitive exercise with “his” noodles vs. mine, but with all the stretching and cutting, it was clear that teamwork was more effective.
My girls had a good time manipulating the dough through the machine and working together to make fettuccine for the younger daughter and spaghetti for the older girl. Marissa did a good job acting as referee as we teased one other, as our family always does. She made sure that everyone had a good time, even if some of our noodles were misshapen and we were creating a mess.
Once they were rolled and cut to approximately the right size, strands of noodles were placed in strainers and boiled to perfection (or at least close enough). When they were done, we topped them with the garlic cream sauce and tossed it together. For the final touch, we sprinkled our diced parsley and “Voila!” our masterpiece was complete.
Both girls enjoyed the experience. My older daughter wants to attend additional classes, bring a friend, and tackle more advanced dishes.
My younger daughter appreciated Marissa knowing when to let the process flow but stepping in when there were questions or help was needed. “She understood that we were to have a good time and followed our lead.”
Meanwhile, my husband gave the experience his own version of a 5-star review, stating in his typical loquacious manner, “It was fun.”
The best part of the day was spending time as a family and enhancing our skills. But I also really enjoyed having someone guiding me and assuring me everything would work out. Since then, I have wished I had a guardian Marissa looking over my shoulder in the kitchen saying, “Do this. Don’t do that. Here’s how to fix the mistake you just made. Everything will be just fine.”
Of course, I could get that myself if I actually practiced cooking. Nah…I’m good. I’ll let my husband be the chef. Look for me loading the dishwasher!
Fourn-yay: When kids are older, it takes some effort to coordinate family activities everyone will enjoy. This one was a hit and, as a bonus, both my girls (and I) learned some new cooking skills.
Fourn-nay: Why can’t I have a Marissa (like an Alexa) on hand to answer all my questions as I cook?
Other N activities: New restaurants, numerology, nunchucks (just kidding!)
Got something fun on your bucket list I should try? Share your suggestions to intentfullyfit@gmail.com
It’s a wrap: (Please note: This adventure was fully paid for, this is not a promotion or partnership)
