Stephanie wrote:

...

> Viva cooking! Half the point is the variety. When I do a ham, I do it in the
> oven with some stock, thyme, onion and whatever other flavors I want. I
> cover it up and cook it slowly. (I am saying this because at this point I
> could just as easily do it in the slow cooker). The flavor permeates the
> meat in such a lovely way. My ham is never ever ever dry. (Do you think I
> should tell my MIL how I do it? She has been asking.)

Of course you should tell her. And tell anyone else who asks. What
satisfaction do you get from keeping such a secret? I can't imagine that
it's a healthy one.

I'm rarely preachy, but you touched a sore point. I've known a few good
cooks who held their techniques close so they would be admired above
others. All of them, without exception, shed their friends as time went
by and ended in bitterness. I can't say whether their aberration was the
cause or the effect of the inward turning that eventually overcame them,
but I suspect feedback at work. Please don't fall into their trap.
Family life shouldn't be a contest. "My wash is whiter than yours"
should be saved for unpleasant neighbors. If you care about such things.

Jerry
--
Engineering is the art of making what you want from things you can get.
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