The other night I made pizza, homemade from crust up of course. I always stretch the ingredients to the corners. Tonight in the oven is my nacho mix to at least get my husband’s palate going. Everything goes to the corners because they matter.
I stretched the vegetarian beans and cheese over the chips and will add tomatillo salsa after it comes out of the oven. I made sure everything went out to the corners.
Why the corners? I was a corner for half my life. I got the empty corners, then started coming out of the corner when I was 30 and started standing up for myself, my family, my business, my clients.
I adopted a corner dog after spending a year visiting her in the shelter as a valued volunteer. She’d been abused by a deputy sheriff so mistrusted men, uniforms and kids who used to throw rocks and sticks at her, oh, and anyone in a hat.
Before she died all the kids and moms in the tot lot would call out her name and come out to pet her. She even got to know our neighbor who usually came out in a tee shirt and shorts, but sometimes put on camo or even dress whites, USN of course. All the neighbors got together and gave a tree to our park in her memory, my former corner dog.
My first cat in 1987 was kicked off the 7′ shelf on which he was born. He was flown to me across country to this avowed “dog lady” and sprung upon me, “surprise!” in NYC. I had no idea what to do with a cat, so I learned, quickly. He was a corner cat, who came out of his shell a few weeks after his arrival at five weeks of age, and talked and talked (Burmese /Siamese mix) and I never got the last word in for 13 years until I had to let him go. He died in my arms, no longer in the corner.
I was so shy in school I sat in the back, pretended to be dumb, and would never try out for a solo for chorus. All when I was second chair violin and had to tune everyone’s instrument every day. Corner gal. No longer.
Today I see “corners” with promise and help them along, whether human, canine or feline. There was a day when I had someone in the neighborhood to take care of rescued birds, iguanas and snakes. I’m leery of the last sentence but do my utmost to help anyone who wants to help his or her self break out of the corner.
The only corner I want to be in is a corner office! We’ll see. In the meantime this cook is a mentor to any “corner” person who needs a “thumbs up” and make life happen moment. Cheers from Dee
Cooking with Dee 