It’s time I learned how to cook
If you said I knew how to cook, I would laugh at you. You would also be very, very wrong. Mat and I get through the week by the most basic of cooking. Get out steak, defrost steak, cook steak on grill. Rinse and repeat with rissoles, chicken schnitzel, mince and tacos etc etc etc. I’m not very imaginative.
Everytime we go grocery shopping I pick up the food magazines, look at them, and long to cook something from them. I actually did once, Rogan Josh meatballs, and OMG they were amazing. I’ve since repeated that meal a couple of times, and would like to do it again, if only I could remember where I put the recipe.
Which presents me with one of my major problems. I need to organise where I keep everything, so that when I want to cook one of the recipes I know exactly where to go. I’m in the process of decluttering our place since we have a lot of unnecessary stuff laying around, food magazines included. I think if I could take out the recipes I’m interested in, combine them in a scrapbook of some sort, and then toss the magazine I could free up some space. That would be a start.
Another problem when it comes to cooking is that I really don’t know how to move from the basic stove/grill combination. We aren’t really set up with an amazing kitchen to work in either, so I guess I was never really inspired to try very hard. My equipment ranges from a stove, toaster oven (not an actual proper oven), microwave and various smaller appliances – rice cooker, slow cooker etc. I had always thought my options were pretty limited, but reading the magazines I see that I was probably dillusional.
I think the only way I will really start to improve, and move beyond my comfort zone would be if I issued myself a challenge.
I will cook a meal based on a recipe from one of the magazines at least once a fortnight.
I would say a week, but given how busy I have been lately I just can’t guarantee I will stick with that.
For anyone reading this blog I must ask, how did you all learn to cook? I never paid attention to my mum (queen of lasagne, coconut & mandarin salads, and biscuits with faces on them) so I have no idea how to do anything she does. Now I’m an adult, engaged, and meant to know this stuff. Oops. I guess I’m just really lucky that Mat isn’t a man who thinks a woman’s place is in the kitchen (if he ever said that to me he’d cop a mouthful).
Any tips that anyone could provide I would be very willing to take on board. Thanks!
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September 5th, 2010 at 9:43 am
I never really set out to learn to cook, but it was just kind of a part of my family. Mostly when I do stuff like sauces, roasts, meatballs and so on, it is just by feel, and then I heat it up until it turns brown.
I think most of the time it just comes down to practice, even things like biscuits
September 5th, 2010 at 10:30 am
Thanks Anthony! I daresay if I tried to do things “by feel” we would be eating a lot of bad food haha. You’re right though, I need to keep practising and eventually I will get there.
September 5th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
I’d agree with Anthony. It’s just practice. Finding good recipes in books, the web, off friends when you try something you like that they’ve cooked. I’m more of a meal cooker – would love to be able to cook things like cakes, slices and biscuits, but my oven’s seal is gone so it’s not the best so I generally avoid any temperamental type baking things.
I’ve found the Women’s Weekly Recipes the most failsafe of any that I’ve tried so would really recommend their website as a great place to start.
I’ve also found a few good recipes along the way online.
I love this chilli recipe – http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/main-dish/recipe-chili-con-carne-077591 . I cook mine in the slow cooker, so just use chuck steak as it’s super tender by the end in there. I also add a couple of cupfuls of lentils to stretch it and they’re always good for you. I make up big batches and it freezes really well so it’s good when you can’t be bothered to cook.
I also love this Thai Chicken Noodle Soup recipe. It really doesn’t look that promising until you add the coconut milk (I know you’re watching what you eat and you can use the skim coconut milk no probs). I also make it vegetarian by not adding the chicken. It doesn’t miss it. http://table-4-two.blogspot.com/2008/03/thai-chicken-noodle-soup.html (EVOO is extra virgin olive oil – took me ages to work that out!)
This is a good camping recipe as its all in one pot, but I also make it at home – http://www.guidebooks.com.au/recipe10.htm. It’s vegie, but I sometimes add a sliced chorizo at the start which definitely adds to it (obviously not as healthy!).
Best of luck
Love to hear how you got on.
September 6th, 2010 at 8:47 am
Thanks!! Will definitely give some of those a shot!