January 4, 2003 @ 11:25 p.m.
A fan asked….
Q: Where do you come up with some of the ideas that end up in your books? For instance, the scenes when Meredith uses a hot water bottle as an ice pack for Matt and served him a can of sweetened condensed milk to drink? Have you, by chance, done these things in the past? Also, many of your heroines do not cook very well. I’ve read that you also are not a fan of cooking. I think I recall someone telling me a story of you fixing spaghetti for the first time and someone asked you for the colander so they could drain the noodles and you had no idea what a colander was so you used…. PANTYHOSE!
Sorry, but I’m not nearly as interesting or witty as my characters. I wish I knew where I get some of these ideas, because if I knew where they come from, I’d go there a lot more often and get a lot more of them.
I plead guilty to the condensed milk thing. I tried to put that over on Michael when he was sick and–God alone knows why–wanted warm milk. I shudder to think of it. I can only drink milk when it’s so cold it numbs my taste buds.
The red rubber bag idea just “occurred” to me because I remembered seeing one hanging on the back of a bathroom door in a farmhouse when I was about 10 or 12. Being extremely prim and proper and a city girl, too, I was deeply appalled when my mother told me what it was. But for comic appeal, you should have seen my mother’s face when I asked her–I inherited being “prim and proper” from her.
By the way (ROFL) that was NOT a hot water bottle, unless they come with attached hoses.
I used that rubber bag in the scene in PARADISE because I needed Meredith to do something really, really shockingly funny in order to jolt Matt out of his dire mood.
Regarding spaghetti, a colander, and pantyhose…
How much was my friend drinking when she told you that story??I do not cook any more, but spaghetti was one of the few things I did rather well, actually. I probably couldn’t find a colander because I hadn’t seen it in ten years, but I promise I have one. In my kitchen are four full size stainless steel ovens, two warming ovens, an overside 6 burner gas cooktop, and two dishwashers. Caterers love doing parties at my house. I also have several espresso pots I have no idea how to use, and a “Mixmaster” that weighs as much as my first car and costs almost as much. It’s only been used a couple of times. I am the proud owner of nearly every piece of cookware that Cephalon makes. It’s all like brand new. Most of it is unused, but you just never know…
I love gadgets, and I love entertaining, but I do not love cooking. The few times I’ve tried to cook for someone in the last couple of years, my timing was hopeless. Every part of the meal was ready on a different day.
You know…after having disclaimed the “wisecrack” about using pantyhose for a colandar, it’s starting to sound horribly familiar. My God, maybe I did say that…but only as a joke, I assure you. Actually, I think I was asked if I had cheesecloth? or something that someone needed to skim the top off of melted butter or something, and I suggested they use pantyhose.
Copyright: Simon & Schuster, Rememberboard, 2003