by Barb, who is on a writing retreat at home (i.e. her husband is traveling)
Take it away, Devon!
Someone, somewhere coined the phrase, “you can never go back.” Don’t believe it -not true. People who commit crimes often go back to the scene of the crime, but it isn’t wise because the chances of getting caught increase, I’d imagine. I went back to a place that held only bad memories for me, and that led me back to the scene of the crime I’d only been to in the pages of my book, Final Roasting Place. Let me explain.
Two weekends ago, I competed in the National Mushroom Cook-off. The Mushroom Cook-off holds a special place in my heart for a few reasons. Number one – I love mushrooms and adoring the sponsor’s required ingredient always gives me a boost of creativity that propels me well on my way to a better recipe entry. Number two – I was the Grand Prize winner last year with my Bon Vivant Mushroom and Chicken Crepes, putting me in the enviable position of being the defending champion. Third reason – the Mushroom Cook-off is the sight of my most epic failure in the history of my cooking competitions.
Fast forward a year – the time came and went to enter the annual mushroom contest again. I couldn’t do it. I froze when I saw the entry blank. I had plenty of ideas but I wasn’t ready to revisit something I had messed up so badly. The fine folks who put on the event were probably still talking about my lack of preparation and overall stupidity for not double-checking important details such as the actual recipe that was to represent me as a proficient mushroom cook! If they saw my name on the entry form they would surely delete the email instantly. But, thank goodness, the old adage, “time heals all wounds”, kicked in the next year and I entered the contest with a renewed sense of “put the past to rest”. I was chosen, once again, as a finalist.
When I returned home with trophy in hand, I had a sense of urgency to reach out to our local TV news channel, which runs a daily feature, “Chef’s Quick Tips”, to let them know not only was I a recipe contest winner but their station was the inspiration for the setting for my soon-to-be-released book, Final Roasting Place. Why? Because I wanted to the return to the scene of my book’s crime, not as the author, but as a participant in a real life story. A first time return, of sorts. The host of the segment invited me to come cook on-air and hawk my book, not aware New 12 Connecticut was literally the scene of the crime. I would be saving the nugget of information about the ambitious young news anchor at the station falling victim to murder in the midst of an on-air cook-off for a more opportune time – say, just as we were about to start filming.
Looking back, the experience of a cook-off gone horribly wrong was painful and took time to get over. But, a lot of good came out of the experience. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t want to ever repeat that mistake again but, if it ever happens again, I think I won’t wait two years to go back.
Thank you, Devon!
Readers: Have you ever returned to the scene of a former defeat or low point? How did that work out for you?