Full disclosure: I L-O-V-E love to cook.

I have a shelf full of cookbooks, and a little nook under the cook-top for my favorite recipes.

My favorite cookbook is The Science of Good Cooking by America’s Test Kitchen. I love this cookbook for the recipes, for sure. Mostly I like to read about why the science behind why things work. Friday I made a roast pork with roasted cumin, peppercorn, and fennel. I baked it at 500 F degrees for 30 minutes. After that, I turned the oven off and let the roast cook in the residual heat until dinnertime. So tender. The reason why that works so well is in the book.

I’m also working my way through The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum. I listened to an interview of Rose. She made cake making the most interesting hobby in the world. Oh my goodness, the German Chocolate cake is now a family favorite. And you haven’t had real angel food cake until you’ve had Rose’s recipe, which calls for 18 eggs. This book also explains how things work. I’m learning a lot about the importance of weighing ingredients. Did you know that the size of the egg impacts the white to yolk ratio? That can impact how the cake turns out. It’s important to separate and weigh separately.

But… My favorite thing to cook is not from a cookbook at all. I like to improvise. Try out new seasonings and new food combinations. I especially like to do easy pan dinners in my Ninja toaster oven. Tonight I will combine some of that leftover pork roast with red and russet potatoes, onions, and corn. I won’t peel the potatoes because most of the vitamins are close to the skin. I’ll call it Adela’s Special Number 202.

What’s your favorite thing to cook?

If anyone out there want to trade my cooking for your cleaning, I’m your girl.