"Anyone can cook"

For those of you who have seen Ratatouille (the Disney movie with the rat that is a chef in France) you know that Remy the rat's line is "Anyone can cook." This I really believe is true. Like anything in life, some people just have a natural gift for it, but anyone who has the desire to do it, CAN. My mom says "if you can read and follow directions, you can cook." and my saying "nothing is hard, somethings just take longer." It is important to start out with a good recipe, and if you are a beginner cook it is helpful to start out with a easier recipes first because then you are less prone to become discouraged. One of my favorite cookbooks in the world is "How to Boil Water" -by the Food Network. Here is a link for it on Amazon.com- it's $15 for a new one.

http://www.amazon.com/Boil-Water-Food-Network-Kitchens/dp/0696226863/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308261100&sr=8-1

The reason why I love this book so much, is because it tells you little tips and tricks that are helpful to know, even if you don't have someone in person there to teach them to you. It goes over how to cut vegetables, fruits and herbs (especially the more tricky ones), what basics you should stock your pantry with and have on hand all the time (like spices, eggs, milk, etc...) and also what utensils and pans you should have. This way-if you have a well stocked kitchen (don't worry it doesn't go over board, just gives you the basics) then cooking becomes much easier and more enjoyable. If you have any questions about this book-feel free to ask! Everything I've made from it has turned out great and is not difficult to make.

Now... you may be asking what this delicious dish is that I'm holding? This is my version of Ratatouille. I looked at several recipes online and changed them a little bit into something that I would like... well lets make that LOVE. It turned out awesome and is so simple!

You will need:

Yellow Squash
Zucchini
Eggplant (if you like- I didn't think I liked eggplant, but it turned out great)
Olive oil
Spaghetti Sauce (we used something not too chunky, but probably any kind would work)
Italian Spices (you'll find them in the spice section- it's premixed & delicious on anything Italian)
Parmesan cheese

In a round pie pan spread a layer (maybe 1/2 inch) of sauce. Thinly slice the squashes (try to get them as even as possible, and very thin). Layer them however you'd like (you can see we alternated them and put them around just the edge but you can fill the whole pan if you like). Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over top of the squashes and sprinkle Italian seasoning on the whole thing. Then throw on some Parmesan cheese, and you are good to go! (you can make a zucchini Mickey if you want too :) Now bake it at 350 for 15 min and check it. Every oven is different, but you want the squashes slightly soft, the cheese browned and sauce kind of bubbly. If you cook it too much the squashes will become soggy and not too good. This is an absolutely delicious dish and great if you want something spaghetti-ish but without the carbs, or just as a side to some other entree.