Do failures actually exist in the kitchen???

Don’t be fooled by the pretty pictures, and the yummy recipes I put up on the site. I am a normal person, that has the occasional failure in the kitchen. But, are they ever really failures? Or, are they opportunities to learn and improve your methods in the kitchen?

Last night, I attempted to make – in my terms – Peach Softballs. A whole peach, with a brown sugar and butter “ball” in the middle where the pit once was, wrapped in pie crust, and baked. Now, this sounds perfect, right? So tasty, sweet, and yummy! However, it didn’t quite bake up the way I had it pictured. The baking process yielded a crust that separated from the peach as the peach softened and cooked in the oven. The brown sugar and butter “ball” melted away. The crust remained kind of soft on the bottom, instead of crisping like my little foodie heart desired. *smiles*

The process was fun though. I enjoy peeling peaches with a knife and just my fingers. Just as I enjoy chopping vegetables, it can be therapeutic to peel a peach in my opinion. I enjoyed taking the photographs. I enjoyed licking my fingers of the peach juices – no worries, I washed my hands after each licking. Rolling the balls of brown sugar and butter proved to be rather interesting – and messy, I must say. Something only a faucet flowing warm water can cleanse. The process of kneading the pie crusts at times was entertaining in it’s own little way. Last, but not least, the anticipation was intense to see if the little creation would come out perfectly. That was….until I opened the oven to reveal what I originally perceived as a failure. Then I just had to open my eyes and see the beauty of it.

In the end, I was left with beautiful pictures of a creation that didn’t become what I wanted it to become. But, I ended up with something that I can drizzle a nice sauce over, and it still tasted wonderful! It makes me think of how I can make it different next time. What will help it? An opportunity to learn! If you try this concept…let me know what you did different, or did to make it work for you.

Just like in life, we must learn from our “failures”. As Mr. William Feather – an Author – states, “No man is a failure who is enjoying life.” That said…No person in the kitchen is a failure, if they are enjoying the process.

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