Why write a cookbook when you're not that great a cook

I don't actually think I'm that great a cook, even though people tell me so. But I know what a good cook really is. They are somebody who measures carefully, who reasearches appropriate combinations, who sources food wisely and demands the best. They are organized, efficient and patient. That's why I don't think I really qualify: I am impulsive and kind of lazy. 'Quick and dirty' is my motto' although actually I don't like dirt and I'm kind of fussy that way. 

I certainly didn't learn how to cook from my mother. She was great in many ways but generally held domestic duties in contempt. What I did learn, I learnt from my father. He wasn't educated like my mother but he was smart in a lot of ways. He was also fun-loving, adventurous and very sociable, even with animals. Here he is in 1959, a camp cook in a 'bush-camp' in northern Alberta, feeding his leftover pancakes to visiting bears.

Note: Do not try this at home!

I want Alexis' food to be tasty, nutritious and prepared in a sanitary manner, but I also want her food preparation to be as quick and easy as possible - and not break the bank in the process. I don't use prepared foods of any sort if I can help it, except maybe canned tomatoes, the odd soup cube, things like that, but I find shortcuts in all sorts of other ways. I love to read recipes but I rarely follow them entirely. I have certain compulsions: I like to use up all the leftovers in the fridge and to experiment with different spices and sauces and cooking methods. Therefore, I sometimes succeed, but often fail. Then I figure out a different angle and try again. So now you know why I don't think I'm such a great cook.

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