Vegetarian Cooking

I have discovered, in my newfound status as a cook, that being somewhat vegetarian (i.e. not having access to wild game), makes for an enjoyable cooking experience.

This revelation occured with the help of what has to be The Best-Ever Vegetarian Cookbook . Funny. That's also it's title.

This book is full of fun recipes that create delicious meals. Jeremiah and I have enjoyed them so much (except for the evening when I set off the fire alarm). I think that night, we just ended up eating cereal. But that's OK. It's the effort that counts.

Jeremiah (a sworn red meat-eater) has thoroughly enjoyed the fruits of this book. His favorite? Baked Leeks with Cheese and Yoghurt.

The Love behind My Cooking

- AN INTRODUCTION

Now that Jeremiah and I are down in California, we have no full-time chef to prepare our meals. This led us to the inevitable conclusion that I would have to cook.

Despite the possible poisonings coursing through both our imaginations (nothing like a positive attitude), I chose to meet the new challenge with love, rather than anxiety. As a result, our stomachs are full with the yummy goodness of a homecooked meal.

So far, although I don't particularly enjoy cooking it has been a rewarding experience for both of us. It is somewhat of an artistic outlet for me. It keeps me busy. I am learning and every day is different. Jeremiah comes home from a hard day of work to an apartment full of delicious smells, and gets to eat a hot, tasty meal - cooked by the woman he loves, for the man she loves.

So, the most gratifying thing about cooking for Jeremiah is that it has brought the two of us closer together.

THE ALCOHOLISM AND ADDICTION CURE - A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO TOTAL RECOVERY by Chris Prentiss

During the past few weeks I read a book that was given to me. The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure - A Holistic Approach to Total Recovery by Chris Prentiss is one of the most enlightening books that I have ever read. Not because of his views of alcohol and drug dependency and their causes, but because the book informed me that these views are relatively new to the world of addiction therapy.

Chris believes that drug and alcohol dependent people don't have an incurable disease. Dependency is 100% curable. Alcoholics and drug addicts are simply trying to cope with the world in which they live. Their coping mechanisms just happen to be alcohol and drugs. And alcohol and drugs work very well. Regardless of whether or not they will eventually kill you. I always thought it was obvious. Apparently not. So I will help Chris spread the word, and promote his book as well.

The book itself is great. It is easy to read and full of warmth, very chatty. It is a wealth of information both for dependent people and for their therapists. This book makes a great reference source. The third chapter is written by Chris's son, Pax. Pax was addicted to heroine, cocaine and alcohol for ten years. Chris got him clean forty times. This chapter is Pax's story and it is as heartening and illuminating as it is appalling.

Once Pax discovered the reason for his dependency and he and Chris were able to cure it, they opened a rehabilitation centre for dependency treatment in Malibu called Passages. It has the highest success rate of any dependency treatment center in the world.