ARE YOU AN ALPHA OR A BETA?

The NYTimes had an article today about alpha and beta cooks in the kitchen. I think it's a great article. Clearly, I'm usually the alpha in the kitchen. But I've really tried to tone down my critical tendencies over the years. Yes, there are those that now refuse to cook with me. I once made my sister a lovely heirloom tomato salad, lightly seasoned with an aged balsalmic vinegar and fresh basil and she promptly topped it with garlic croutons. I got annoyed at her for that one. I have a tendency to take command of a cooking situation if I see a lot of chaos. I'm also very protective of my cooking equipment. And most people know to stay out of the kitchen when I'm cooking (more bodies just get in the way). But I really have gotten better. Just ask Katie. When she still lived in Boston we cooked together all the time. We had some misses, but mainly came up with great stuff. I still make cream of broccoli soup all the time. And I really miss having a cooking buddy.

Also, I really love it when people cook for me. Normally, I'm the cook at home, but I truly appreciate it when Tom occasionally cooks for me after I've spent 10 hours at the store. I'm excited cause tonight he's gonna make my favorite turkey osso bucco from Mario Batali's recipe. So the end conclusion is, please don't afraid to cook for me! And if you ever cook with me, I'll try to be patient and nice.