The Desperate Housewives Cookbook(English)

El siguiente texto es un extracto del libro The desperate housewives cookbook (ISBN: 9781639197637) Conocerlo, entenderlo, interpretarlo y ayudarlo, escrito por Juicy Dishes and Saucy Bits, publicado por de Vecchi /DVE ediciones.

Introduction

It is said that variety is the spice of life. Or is it more accurate to suggest that spices are the very things that make our lives more interesting and varied? The kitchens on Wisteria Lane are no exception. And it is there, right along with the spice racks, that the rich and varied personalities of our favorite housewives can be found.

The secrets, murderous plans, and love affairs that were discussed in the kitchens of ancient queens, saints, and politicians pale in comparison to those of the women of Wisteria Lane, who each have plenty of juicy tales of intrigue, lust, and hunger to tell. Susan Mayer, Bree Van De Kamp, Lynette Scavo, Gabrielle Solis . . . and, lest we forget, the town slut (but not technically a housewife), Edie Britt—in each of their kitchens, we can glimpse their true selves.

For who these women are dictates what foods they make. Isn’t that true for all of us? Take Bree Van De Kamp, the housewife whose kitchen is the most immaculate, well-stocked, and busiest on Wisteria Lane. In Bree’s kitchen, the forty-two-inch stainless steel side-by-side Thermador refrigerator and the thirty-six-inch gas stovetop with built-in griddle resting on the oversize island are not just for show. These items, like everything else in her ultramodern yet classic kitchen, are part of what makes Bree tick. They define her as a woman who lives and breathes food, in terms of both taste and presentation.

When Bree’s life is good, she uses food to celebrate; when things are difficult, she uses cooking to escape. While the other women of Wisteria Lane certainly enjoy their favorite dishes, no one dares compete with Bree—or her kitchen. Divorced, single mother Susan Mayer has “limited” cooking skills, though she is always eager to try. Lynette Scavo is too much of a pragmatist and far too busy with her demanding job and her family even to entertain the notion of being a gourmand.

Former model Gabrielle Solis certainly enjoys haute cuisine, but simply can’t be bothered with the arduous process of preparing it herself. Only Edie Britt, who has created some tempting dishes as part of her seduction of various men, can come close to competing in the same arena as Bree where the kitchen is concerned. Wisteria Lane is a picture-perfect street, where soufflés never fall and the grass on the lawns is never more than two inches high—and always a vibrant green.

It’s a place where the newspapers are delivered to the front door before anyone arises, a community where all of the neighbors get along . . . at least, this is what everyone pretends is going on. We all know the truth: Nothing is perfect. Inevitably, secrets do reveal themselves. The lawns may be verdant—but the grass might actually be painted green. The ideal house might create the illusion of perfection, but the foundation is falling apart because of a termite infestation. Inside the kitchens of our favorite housewives, the soufflé does, in fact, fall far too often (except in the Van De Kamp household).

With cooking—as with life—it’s only with practice and a sense of humor when things fail that we can learn to get it right. From Susan’s classically awful Macaroni and Cheese (somehow burned and undercooked at the same time) to Gabrielle’s Quesadillas (tasting uncannily like the ones served at her favorite Mexican restaurant in the city) to Lynette’s Buttermilk- Soaked Fried Chicken, the food on Wisteria Lane has a flavor quite unique to this unusual community.

The recipes on the following pages run the gamut of the cooking styles, cultures, and abilities of the women of Wisteria Lane. So as you read The Desperate Housewives Cookbook, you will be reminded that we are all different. If you are like Bree, perhaps your meal will be a perfect balance of taste and presentation. And if you are similar to Susan, perhaps it’s best to have a wealth of spices handy to cover up the imperfections. And that’s okay! Because it is in our differences that we find the very spice that makes life worth living.

Bree

Presentation is everything in Bree Van De Kamp’s home. From the unique doorbell chimes that alert her of a visitor’s arrival to the elegant styling that informs each individual room in her house, everything looks perfect. And dinner at Bree’s house is certainly no exception. Anything worth doing is worth doing right. Or so Bree Van De Kamp has repeated to her family a thousand times.

One’s house is not truly clean unless it’s spotless; the party is not worth having unless everyone has a great time; and the food is not worth preparing unless it requires great skill and showcases Bree’s culinary talent. So, in Bree’s world, meals are not about convenience. They are about simmering, braising, puréeing, steeping, chopping, and flambéing.

Queen of the kitchen since she was a little girl, Bree Van De Kamp defines herself by the masterpieces she creates in the kitchen. First she was a doting doctor’s wife who helped her husband move up the ranks at the hospital by hosting the most perfect dinner parties. Then she became a loving mother who always had a hot breakfast prepared from scratch and a lunch bag full of the tastiest foods ready for her kids every morning—all made to her exacting specifications.

She became president of the PTA and the Junior League because no one could outdo Bree Van De Kamp. But over time all those things left her, and the only one left intact was that she was always a great cook. Bree is the first to whip up a crème brûlée with ease, and she never thinks twice about peaks for her egg whites. But she would never make something as gauche as a tuna fish sandwich or open a can of SpaghettiOs and serve it as a meal. In a world of fast food, TV dinners, and microwaves, Bree stands alone as a tribute to a bygone era.

She scorns people who buy ready-made salad, precut fruit, or any form of frozen dinners. She still believes that food is an experience, in both preparation and consumption, and anything less than full participation reduces our enjoyment of food and life. A family is not whole unless they dine together on a meal that took all day to prepare. Bree also insists that food will solve almost every problem that comes her way. If her daughter, Danielle, is acting up, Bree whips up a chocolate banana malt.

If Andrew seems more sullen than usual, she makes his favorite dish. Her late husband and her children always took her skill and thoughtfulness for granted, which is ironic since she worked so hard in an effort to please and impress them. Recently, many of Bree’s preconceived notions about the world have been changing. Sometimes she believes that the only thing that she can still hold on to is a perfectly executed recipe. The rest of us mere mortals just stop and stare at anyone who can do what Bree does . . . Or we merely hope to be invited over to their house for dinner.

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