Beef Bourguignon

It's what's for dinner!

I grew up in the new era of tv dinners, fish sticks, and Kraft macaroni and cheese. My mother really didn't cook, and it took me until I was in my 30's to finally figure that out.

Mom was not the only one. The advent of the wonderful tv dinners and other frozen offerings just made it much easier for housewives to feed their families without much effort.

I remember having boyfriends over for dinner when I was in my 20's, and serving them hot dogs, canned green beans, and a sliced apple for dinner. I just didn't know any better.

In my mid-30's, I had a boyfriend who actually cooked. He taught me and I've never looked back. There is something absolutely magical about preparing delicious food! I love the preparation of it, the serving and presentation of it.

I find it fun to set a table with a linen and lace tablecloth, linen napkins, tall white taper candles, fine china, sterling silver and crystal wine glasses. I'll work for hours on just the perfect menu.

There are so many options that are not really difficult but healthy and tasty and beautiful too. I am forever trying to convince my friend Nelson to try some of the easy recipes I have but to no avail. He settles for a microwaved entree. Sad really.

There are so many things that take so little effort and turn out so wonderful. Vietnamese pork chops marinated in soy, honey, ginger and lemongrass, jasmine rice, carrot and cucumber salad can take no more than 20 minutes from start to finish. And so much better than anything prepared, frozen and stuck in a cardboard box to be microwaved.

Mock abalone! Dang! Just soak think chicken breasts in clam juice for 3 days, dip in egg, flour, and 5 minutes on each side in a hot pan. Looks great, tastes great, and takes so little effort.

Homemade French Onion Soup! About the easies, tastiest, and and best things you can eat. Add bread and a leafy green salad. So simple and wonderful on a rainy night.

I'm lucky to have a great organic produce mart very close to my house. I buy my produce fresh every day on my way home. The meat, poultry and fish are the same, close and fresh! And we have a fabulous bakery where I can get a bagette that rivals what I've had in Paris.

It actually costs us less to eat better than it does to compromise on taste and quality. All I needed was a little basic motivation!