I’ve learned over the years that I have to get very zen when it comes to cooking meals for my family. A dear friend of mine once said meals take up one third of the week when you factor in your figuring out what to make, buying the food, putting away the food, preparing a meal, eating the meal and cleaning up after the meal. I put a lot of thought and energy into making good food that is flavourful and nutritious so being advised that “gourmet” is clearly not synonymous with “delicious-can-I-please-have-some-more” could be very disheartening. I’ve also learned (though not without much kicking and screaming on my part), that it’s better just to roll with it. And sometimes, plain pasta with butter and a wee bit of salt is all ya need.