the food in the house over the past few weeks has been modified as we are in a "sureslim" moment.
In someways, dieting makes food easy and in others its makes it increasingly complex.
last night there were 5 of us and we had Burritos. yep out of a pack, in fact 2 packs. it was relatively simple. cut up some meat (in this case a mix of turkey and thigh chicken), prep some vegatables, pre-cook the meat, use the sachets to make the sauce (only i needed to add some additional water and some tomato paste to make it taste edible), make a quacomole and microwave the "bread". those on SS ate meat and salad "au natural" and those not on SS used the "bread".
Tonight i got some nice fish - Robinson's Sea Perch - and simply dusted it with flour, dipped it in 1 egg whisked and pan fried it (in a little EVO/unsalted butter). It was served with salad and some eggplant which had been cooked on a hotplate (with a small amount of EVO, salt/pepper) and then baked in 200 c oven for 30 mins. some of the eggplant was crispy (on top) and some like melted butter (on bottom).
Overall the dinner went down well. the fish cost $32 and the salad was perhaps another $10 total. there was 2 serves of fish/salad left over so each meal that was eaten cost about $7 and it was restaurant quality without the "sauce".
No photos to prove it but take my word.
PS - over the next few weeks (until 16 Sept) i will be away and not head "chef" so expect a break and come back later if you choose.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
80th Party
Last night we hosted Bert's 80th birthday party. About 35 people attended. I cooked a range of meats - Pork, Chicken's, Beef Rib Roast and Slow Cooked Roast Lamb leg - using the oven, the BBQ and a webber.
All of the meat was pretty much eaten with gravy (3 types - chicken, beef and lamb). We backed this up with a number of salads and bread rolls.
We bought the desserts from a bakery in Mt Lawley called Lawleys. the Chocolate Mudcake was fine, but a lemon meringue tart was simply inedible. the merique would not set and it had way too much sugar in it. We wont be buying cakes from there again anytime soon.
All of the meat was pretty much eaten with gravy (3 types - chicken, beef and lamb). We backed this up with a number of salads and bread rolls.
We bought the desserts from a bakery in Mt Lawley called Lawleys. the Chocolate Mudcake was fine, but a lemon meringue tart was simply inedible. the merique would not set and it had way too much sugar in it. We wont be buying cakes from there again anytime soon.
Friday, August 22, 2008
so what do Chef's/Cooks eat when they dont want to cook
tonight was a leftovers kind of night. Sue ate the Salmon leftovers from last night. Me, i ate some cold meat from the fridge and two tins of cold, yes cold, baked beans in ham sauce from the pantry. I could even be bothered with cooking some toast.
having said that though today was not a day with no cooking. I cooked a lovely omelette for my brunch and i prepped meat for a 80th birthday (more to come on this) and did some prepping for "warm salads".
But what do the great chefs/cooks eat when they dont feel like cooking?
having said that though today was not a day with no cooking. I cooked a lovely omelette for my brunch and i prepped meat for a 80th birthday (more to come on this) and did some prepping for "warm salads".
But what do the great chefs/cooks eat when they dont feel like cooking?
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Salmon in Miso Broth with Asian Greens
this dish is so easy to prepare it is not funny. takes about 15-20mins to prep and 10-15 mins to cook
you can get recipes off of the web for it but i basically just did the following:
got 3 salmon cutlets (about 200-250gm per piece)this is cooked in a wok or frypan first to brown on all sides and then set aside. Before cooking it was marinated with 2 tblsp of each of soy, mirin (rice vinegar) and saki, 1 tsp of sugar in the fridge for about 2 hours.
to make the broth i simply mixed 3 sachets of miso soup - this can be bought from a good supermarket or asian food store - with 500ml of water and poured this into a wok in which i had lightly sauted 3 spring onions sliced finely, 1/2 de-seeded green chilli sliced finely, 1 coriander root which had been chopped and about 1 tblsp of julienned ginger. as the broth warmed to a boil i placed the asian greens in a steamer and steamed for 3-5 mins. as the greens cooked i placed the pre-cooked salmon back into the broth and turned it down to a simmer. When it was served the fish was still medium rare. if you want it more well done you can either cook it longer in the beginning or leave it in the simmering broth longer (or both).
as you can see i just placed the greens in the bottom of a bowl, topped it with the fish and poured broth over the top. finished off with a garnish of coriander leaves and some julienned spring onion (green tops).
All in all it was very tasty. Only minor complaint was that there was a bit of sand in the greens (despite washing several times and draining). There is nothing worse than sand in your food so dish got marked down on that basis
Bad, Bad Cook. Penalty more cooking
you can get recipes off of the web for it but i basically just did the following:
got 3 salmon cutlets (about 200-250gm per piece)this is cooked in a wok or frypan first to brown on all sides and then set aside. Before cooking it was marinated with 2 tblsp of each of soy, mirin (rice vinegar) and saki, 1 tsp of sugar in the fridge for about 2 hours.
to make the broth i simply mixed 3 sachets of miso soup - this can be bought from a good supermarket or asian food store - with 500ml of water and poured this into a wok in which i had lightly sauted 3 spring onions sliced finely, 1/2 de-seeded green chilli sliced finely, 1 coriander root which had been chopped and about 1 tblsp of julienned ginger. as the broth warmed to a boil i placed the asian greens in a steamer and steamed for 3-5 mins. as the greens cooked i placed the pre-cooked salmon back into the broth and turned it down to a simmer. When it was served the fish was still medium rare. if you want it more well done you can either cook it longer in the beginning or leave it in the simmering broth longer (or both).
as you can see i just placed the greens in the bottom of a bowl, topped it with the fish and poured broth over the top. finished off with a garnish of coriander leaves and some julienned spring onion (green tops).
All in all it was very tasty. Only minor complaint was that there was a bit of sand in the greens (despite washing several times and draining). There is nothing worse than sand in your food so dish got marked down on that basis
Bad, Bad Cook. Penalty more cooking
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
blitzkreig - the regime has started with all guns blazing
all of the girls have jumped on the new dietary regime with gusto or nearly. salads for lunch are the order of the day (weighed no less) and tonight i cooked fish with ginger and served it with some "grilled/roasted" vegetables (capsicum, eggplant, asparagus and green beans). it was very tasty actually. the fish recipe came from the "low carb cookbook" (pg 56) but it was served without rice (not allowed).
In addition, i had two pieces of pork ribs (from the pork belly of the other day) which needed to be cooked. they had been marinating in the fridge in some "master stock" so they were nicely flavoured. Because not everyone is on the regime and Cam was over for dinner i also cooked some potatoes as wedges with only a little bit of oil and salt/pepper.
Just for the record - cam can eat what he likes. in fact he should.
everything was cooked with little or no oil so it was healthy right!!!
here are the exceptions for today:
G - in addition to her fish and veg she had ribs (4-5 ribs). She then followed her dinner with two small scoops of icecream with a couple of tablespoons of grated dark chocolate (she has a monthly excuse)
jeff - he drank red wine, he had ribs, some potato wedges and ate the last slice of the lemon/lime tart he made for Sunday. (his excuse - he felt like it and he rode 33km today)
ash - she had ribs and potato (her excuse - she is a carnivore at heart)
Sue - she was a good girl
In addition, i had two pieces of pork ribs (from the pork belly of the other day) which needed to be cooked. they had been marinating in the fridge in some "master stock" so they were nicely flavoured. Because not everyone is on the regime and Cam was over for dinner i also cooked some potatoes as wedges with only a little bit of oil and salt/pepper.
Just for the record - cam can eat what he likes. in fact he should.
everything was cooked with little or no oil so it was healthy right!!!
here are the exceptions for today:
G - in addition to her fish and veg she had ribs (4-5 ribs). She then followed her dinner with two small scoops of icecream with a couple of tablespoons of grated dark chocolate (she has a monthly excuse)
jeff - he drank red wine, he had ribs, some potato wedges and ate the last slice of the lemon/lime tart he made for Sunday. (his excuse - he felt like it and he rode 33km today)
ash - she had ribs and potato (her excuse - she is a carnivore at heart)
Sue - she was a good girl
Monday, August 18, 2008
new diet to change cooking style
a new dietary regime has commenced in the Novice Foodie household so the cooking style is going to have to change. lots of foods are not on the menu including - potatoes, rice, pasta, pumpkin, shellfish. In addition, Sue eats no red meat or pork so her primary protein is going to come from chicken, fish.
Tonight i cooked a stir fry with ginger, garlic, scallions, basil, mushrooms - shitake and brown - some chicken, red capsicum and chinese greens. the sauce was a pretty basic soy, fish sauce, oyster sauce combination with 1/2 lime juice sprinkled over the food once it was in the serving bowl. it took about 30mins in total to prep and cook.
there wasnt much left at the end so it must have been ok. I also cooked some scallops which i needed to cook separately and i had them in addition to some chicken (yum).
tomorrow night i guess it will have to be a fish dish.
I guess i am going to get my repetoire tested and broadened over the next few months.
Tonight i cooked a stir fry with ginger, garlic, scallions, basil, mushrooms - shitake and brown - some chicken, red capsicum and chinese greens. the sauce was a pretty basic soy, fish sauce, oyster sauce combination with 1/2 lime juice sprinkled over the food once it was in the serving bowl. it took about 30mins in total to prep and cook.
there wasnt much left at the end so it must have been ok. I also cooked some scallops which i needed to cook separately and i had them in addition to some chicken (yum).
tomorrow night i guess it will have to be a fish dish.
I guess i am going to get my repetoire tested and broadened over the next few months.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
dinner for 6
today i cooked dinner for six people (although i thought there might be 8). the food, if i do say so myself was excellent (no photos as its probably a bit rude to photograph the dinner table with guests present).
the menu was:
roast chicken cooked in the bbq(sue does not eat pork) and slow roasted pork belly cooked in the oven served with the following side dishes - mashed potatoes, asparagus with olive oil/seeded mustard sauce, pureed peas, scallops, roasted apple and roasted onion. I also made an apple juice reduction for the pork and a chicken gravy for the chicken (dah).
the sweets were a lemon and lime tart (N Moretti recipe from "Cooking Passions" - but i added the juice of 1 lime) and some mixed berries with icecream.
the only thing i didnt make/cook in some way was the icecream.
Everyone was happy and there was little leftover at the end - always a good sign
the food was washed down with a range of excellent red and white wines.
the menu was:
roast chicken cooked in the bbq(sue does not eat pork) and slow roasted pork belly cooked in the oven served with the following side dishes - mashed potatoes, asparagus with olive oil/seeded mustard sauce, pureed peas, scallops, roasted apple and roasted onion. I also made an apple juice reduction for the pork and a chicken gravy for the chicken (dah).
the sweets were a lemon and lime tart (N Moretti recipe from "Cooking Passions" - but i added the juice of 1 lime) and some mixed berries with icecream.
the only thing i didnt make/cook in some way was the icecream.
Everyone was happy and there was little leftover at the end - always a good sign
the food was washed down with a range of excellent red and white wines.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Chilli Mussels
Last night i cooked Chilli Mussels and served it with fresh bread and toasted bread "buttered" with garlic (this is just bread toasted and then rubbed with a clove of garlic).
they were delicious and relatively easy to make. Recipe came from web - www.recipezaar.com (recipe id is 53854) - and it is done in an hour. I cut back on the chilli, but served some on the side so people could heat their own if they wanted to. A good fishmonger should have already cleaned the mussels. I placed them in cold water while i prepared the sauce and this helped purge them of sand etc. they take about 10 mins to cook from a standing start.
three of us ate this plateful, but it would have fed four comfortably.
they were delicious and relatively easy to make. Recipe came from web - www.recipezaar.com (recipe id is 53854) - and it is done in an hour. I cut back on the chilli, but served some on the side so people could heat their own if they wanted to. A good fishmonger should have already cleaned the mussels. I placed them in cold water while i prepared the sauce and this helped purge them of sand etc. they take about 10 mins to cook from a standing start.
three of us ate this plateful, but it would have fed four comfortably.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
clean plates + roast chicken
there is not much more gratifying as a "cook" than clean plates - i mean nearly licked clean plates - and that is what we had around the dinner table tonight. Sorry no photos so you have to take my word for it.
Seems like everyone loves a chicken roast, with roast vegies. Tonight they got their wish. A whole free range chook (large) stuffed with butter, some fresh corn sliced off a cob and some fresh herbs - tarragon, rosemary and oregano. I also stuffed some herb butter under the skin of the breast of the bird (thanks Jamie O) as this is a great trick for keeping the bird moist.
I browned the skin in a frypan with a good sized knob of butter and 1/3 cup of vegatable oil, then i roasted it. I cooked it for 1 1/2 hours on 220c but it wasnt cooked through so i put it back in for about another 20 mins and then i rested it. I used some of the pan juices (after taking off about half of the oil) with a chicken gravy mix and a cup of boiling water to make a really nice gravy.
for the vegetables i cubed some potatoes(roughly 1cm), i cut the top off of 2 large red onions, then cut them in half taking the outside skin off but leaving the bottom end of them intact and then i cut each half into 4. I also peeled and cut 4 carrots lengthwise in half and then into thirds. I put all of these vegetables into a large roasting pan and put them in the oven coated in olive oil and seasoned with salt/pepper. about 30mins from the end of cooking i placed a whole head of garlic with the top cut off and olive oil poured on top into the pan to cook.
I also cooked some brocholi and runner beans in a little butter and salt/pepper for 5 minutes in a microwave (with the lid on) right at the end.
I cut the chicken up in a rustic fashion (legs off, wings off and then the breasts cut into 1/4s) and placed this in a dish (with a little of the pan juices on top and some of the stuffing in a bowl) and the vegetables were served right out of the pans/dishes they were cooked in. Great meal - evidence. Few left overs, and clean plates.
Seems like everyone loves a chicken roast, with roast vegies. Tonight they got their wish. A whole free range chook (large) stuffed with butter, some fresh corn sliced off a cob and some fresh herbs - tarragon, rosemary and oregano. I also stuffed some herb butter under the skin of the breast of the bird (thanks Jamie O) as this is a great trick for keeping the bird moist.
I browned the skin in a frypan with a good sized knob of butter and 1/3 cup of vegatable oil, then i roasted it. I cooked it for 1 1/2 hours on 220c but it wasnt cooked through so i put it back in for about another 20 mins and then i rested it. I used some of the pan juices (after taking off about half of the oil) with a chicken gravy mix and a cup of boiling water to make a really nice gravy.
for the vegetables i cubed some potatoes(roughly 1cm), i cut the top off of 2 large red onions, then cut them in half taking the outside skin off but leaving the bottom end of them intact and then i cut each half into 4. I also peeled and cut 4 carrots lengthwise in half and then into thirds. I put all of these vegetables into a large roasting pan and put them in the oven coated in olive oil and seasoned with salt/pepper. about 30mins from the end of cooking i placed a whole head of garlic with the top cut off and olive oil poured on top into the pan to cook.
I also cooked some brocholi and runner beans in a little butter and salt/pepper for 5 minutes in a microwave (with the lid on) right at the end.
I cut the chicken up in a rustic fashion (legs off, wings off and then the breasts cut into 1/4s) and placed this in a dish (with a little of the pan juices on top and some of the stuffing in a bowl) and the vegetables were served right out of the pans/dishes they were cooked in. Great meal - evidence. Few left overs, and clean plates.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Goats Cheese Soufflee Cups
made another of Nico's recipes tonight for tea. they worked out really well.
essentially you make a basic soufflee and mix in goats cheese feta - I doubled all the basic components and added ~249gms of cheese. the flavours were strong. I served the soufflees with a warm salad of mushroom, asparagus and cherry tomatoes on salad greens.
this is an excellent vegetarian meal
essentially you make a basic soufflee and mix in goats cheese feta - I doubled all the basic components and added ~249gms of cheese. the flavours were strong. I served the soufflees with a warm salad of mushroom, asparagus and cherry tomatoes on salad greens.
this is an excellent vegetarian meal
Sunday, August 3, 2008
salmon/prawns/scallops in spicy coconut sauce
this is a really easy and tasty seafood dish which takes 20-30 mins to prep and cook
basically you make a broth (2 tbsp laksa paste [you can adjust this up or down to adjust heat], 2 tbsp lime juice, 2tbsp fish sauce, 1/2 cup chicken stock, tbsp spoon brown sugar, 400ml coconut milk) and cook the seafood separately and then you put them together (takes 10 mins max, plus prep time about 10 mins). Garnish with coriander and chilli and spring onion. I halved the coconut milk - which was light already without any flavour impacts in my opinion. Serve with rice - you can cook this in microwave in 10-15 mins depending on amount. 1 cup of rice with 2 cups water in large bowl (no lid) and cook for 12 mins or until all water has evaporated. for larger volumes simply double or triple ingredients and increase time. 2 cups of rice take ~15mins in my microwave
Recipe came from ABC - Delicious Magazine. Not sure if you can get it online but worth a try. Flavours are equisite.
basically you make a broth (2 tbsp laksa paste [you can adjust this up or down to adjust heat], 2 tbsp lime juice, 2tbsp fish sauce, 1/2 cup chicken stock, tbsp spoon brown sugar, 400ml coconut milk) and cook the seafood separately and then you put them together (takes 10 mins max, plus prep time about 10 mins). Garnish with coriander and chilli and spring onion. I halved the coconut milk - which was light already without any flavour impacts in my opinion. Serve with rice - you can cook this in microwave in 10-15 mins depending on amount. 1 cup of rice with 2 cups water in large bowl (no lid) and cook for 12 mins or until all water has evaporated. for larger volumes simply double or triple ingredients and increase time. 2 cups of rice take ~15mins in my microwave
Recipe came from ABC - Delicious Magazine. Not sure if you can get it online but worth a try. Flavours are equisite.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
mushroom and tomato tart - easy entertaining
this tart is an easy meal to provide for a brunch or lunch. It can basically be made ahead and just warmed up 15 minutes before you want to serve it.
so how do you make it:
Base - use as many sheets of puff pastry as you want. I have used one and it will make 9 pieces when cut. defrost the pastry, crimp the edge to make a 1 cm edge, cook in a preheated oven at 200c for 12-15 minutes. the bottom and the top should seperate (puff). remove, allow to cool then cut inside the edge of the top layer so you can press it back down.
filling - cut some eschalot depending on how much you intend to make. for 1 sheet i cut 2 small eschalots, cut 500gm mushroom and two tbsp of parsley. heat some butter or oil in pan and saute together for about 5 minutes, season to taste. cool.
slow roasted tomatoes - cut tomatoes in half, place on a tray (on baking paper) in preheated oven at 100c. sprinkle with chopped parsley and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. allow to cool.
to serve - top pastry with mushroom, then tomato and reheat on 200c for 10 mins. remove cut into portions and serve.
Options
i think you could easily add a "dab" of goats cheese to this tart on top of each tomato before reheating for another interesting flavour and change in visual appeal
then enjoy with a nice glass of wine
so how do you make it:
Base - use as many sheets of puff pastry as you want. I have used one and it will make 9 pieces when cut. defrost the pastry, crimp the edge to make a 1 cm edge, cook in a preheated oven at 200c for 12-15 minutes. the bottom and the top should seperate (puff). remove, allow to cool then cut inside the edge of the top layer so you can press it back down.
filling - cut some eschalot depending on how much you intend to make. for 1 sheet i cut 2 small eschalots, cut 500gm mushroom and two tbsp of parsley. heat some butter or oil in pan and saute together for about 5 minutes, season to taste. cool.
slow roasted tomatoes - cut tomatoes in half, place on a tray (on baking paper) in preheated oven at 100c. sprinkle with chopped parsley and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. allow to cool.
to serve - top pastry with mushroom, then tomato and reheat on 200c for 10 mins. remove cut into portions and serve.
Options
i think you could easily add a "dab" of goats cheese to this tart on top of each tomato before reheating for another interesting flavour and change in visual appeal
then enjoy with a nice glass of wine
Gino's Restaurant - Fremantle
this ristorante is a local institution in Fremantle and it is always packed with an eclectic range of locals and touristas.
the menu is loaded with pasta dishes and a few of the classic italian meat dishes.
sue and i chose pasta dishes for lunch. they were classics - putanesca and arrabiata sauces. the serve sizes were good and the flavours excellent. the arrabiata had just the right hint of chilli and the penne was beautifully cooked.
Dining in this type of restaurant is casual and the food is priced accordingly - mains were about $20 - so they wont break the bank.
Overall we had a great meal in an excellent alfresco environment. Well worth a visit
the menu is loaded with pasta dishes and a few of the classic italian meat dishes.
sue and i chose pasta dishes for lunch. they were classics - putanesca and arrabiata sauces. the serve sizes were good and the flavours excellent. the arrabiata had just the right hint of chilli and the penne was beautifully cooked.
Dining in this type of restaurant is casual and the food is priced accordingly - mains were about $20 - so they wont break the bank.
Overall we had a great meal in an excellent alfresco environment. Well worth a visit
Friday, August 1, 2008
retrospective
i got a present a while ago (christmas actually) which was a knife set - good quality blades which are an essential component of any good cooks arsenal. in addition i got some vouchers to some cooking lessons.
last night sue and i went to the first lesson - a brunch oriented cooking lesson.
Nico Morreti through his business Urban Provider was the teacher.
with cooking you can always learn something. last night Nico did a brunch/breakfast dish which is so simple and easy any mug cook could do it (provided they have an oven and a muffin "tin" - silicone works equally well if not better) and which enables you to cook eggs for a dozen or more people in the oven in 10-15 mins.
it so simple it is ridiculous:
heat an oven to 200c
lightly grease muffin tray
put a piece of smoked salmon or ham in the bottom of each cell in the tray (or as many as you need)
put a small (3-4 leaves) handful of rocket on top of salmon/ham
crack an egg and gently pour onto each cell
put into the warm oven and cook for 10-15 minutes (time depends on how you like your egg. check it and see around 7-8 mins and then make your decision. if someone wants their egg more firm serve some and put the others back for a couple more minutes. In essence the eggs are "poached" without water. when served on top of muffin, with hollandaise sauce, they looked and tasted fantastic.
While eggs are cooking toast some muffins or toast.
when the eggs are cooked serve on toast/muffins
you can also serve this with a hollandaise sauce for extra flavour
it was simple, delicious and easy to cook. I had some today for lunch sans hollandaise.
last night sue and i went to the first lesson - a brunch oriented cooking lesson.
Nico Morreti through his business Urban Provider was the teacher.
with cooking you can always learn something. last night Nico did a brunch/breakfast dish which is so simple and easy any mug cook could do it (provided they have an oven and a muffin "tin" - silicone works equally well if not better) and which enables you to cook eggs for a dozen or more people in the oven in 10-15 mins.
it so simple it is ridiculous:
heat an oven to 200c
lightly grease muffin tray
put a piece of smoked salmon or ham in the bottom of each cell in the tray (or as many as you need)
put a small (3-4 leaves) handful of rocket on top of salmon/ham
crack an egg and gently pour onto each cell
put into the warm oven and cook for 10-15 minutes (time depends on how you like your egg. check it and see around 7-8 mins and then make your decision. if someone wants their egg more firm serve some and put the others back for a couple more minutes. In essence the eggs are "poached" without water. when served on top of muffin, with hollandaise sauce, they looked and tasted fantastic.
While eggs are cooking toast some muffins or toast.
when the eggs are cooked serve on toast/muffins
you can also serve this with a hollandaise sauce for extra flavour
it was simple, delicious and easy to cook. I had some today for lunch sans hollandaise.
so why food
since i left my job in February i have become the chief cook in our home and it is something i enjoy immensely.
cooking gives you instant feedback - it is either good or it is not. the consumers of food also - especially if they are family - provide another feedback loop.
as a domestic cook i need to feed the people who go to work and earn the money but i also do it because i enjoy the challenge of making something taste nice and more recently look nice.
i am improving - everyone in the family is getting fatter. Kidding. I am faster and my basic skills are improving. I still basically use recipes from magazines or the net but i am not frightened to experiment if required.
i have had no formal training but i watch plenty of food tv shows and i read cooking books and mags - a lot.
in my view anyone can be a cook, but few will ever be a chef (this is actually more a management job than a cooking job).
So why food?
because it is the "glue" of life and society. it sustains individuals, binds families and communities and countries. it is vital to survival and its fun.
just think about everything (food-wise) you put in your mouth. someone grew it. someone got it to a store near you and someone (maybe you) prepared and cooked it. then someone ate it. everyone in this chain is vital to your wellbeing.
in my view - when it comes to food you have a choice. food can be either good or it can be bad. for me its rarely bad and if it is there is so much choice i never repeat the mistake.
cooking gives you instant feedback - it is either good or it is not. the consumers of food also - especially if they are family - provide another feedback loop.
as a domestic cook i need to feed the people who go to work and earn the money but i also do it because i enjoy the challenge of making something taste nice and more recently look nice.
i am improving - everyone in the family is getting fatter. Kidding. I am faster and my basic skills are improving. I still basically use recipes from magazines or the net but i am not frightened to experiment if required.
i have had no formal training but i watch plenty of food tv shows and i read cooking books and mags - a lot.
in my view anyone can be a cook, but few will ever be a chef (this is actually more a management job than a cooking job).
So why food?
because it is the "glue" of life and society. it sustains individuals, binds families and communities and countries. it is vital to survival and its fun.
just think about everything (food-wise) you put in your mouth. someone grew it. someone got it to a store near you and someone (maybe you) prepared and cooked it. then someone ate it. everyone in this chain is vital to your wellbeing.
in my view - when it comes to food you have a choice. food can be either good or it can be bad. for me its rarely bad and if it is there is so much choice i never repeat the mistake.
you have to start somewhere
I have decided i am going to start, along with a range of other blogs, a foodie blog. I have lots of experience eating food of all types from many sources - family, friends, restaurants, home cooking - and i enjoy it immensely.
of late i have become the principal home cook and i have spent - or had spent for me - lots of $$$ on kitchen things. Some i still dont know how to use "properly" and others i am beginning to master.
cooking food - given time - can be theraputic and a source of comfort for the preparer and the consumer.
while i have posted blogs about some of my meals elsewhere i now intend to make this the blog for my food experiences - good, bad, indifferent.
so if you somehow turn up here i hope you enjoy the commentary, photos and insights
bon appetite
of late i have become the principal home cook and i have spent - or had spent for me - lots of $$$ on kitchen things. Some i still dont know how to use "properly" and others i am beginning to master.
cooking food - given time - can be theraputic and a source of comfort for the preparer and the consumer.
while i have posted blogs about some of my meals elsewhere i now intend to make this the blog for my food experiences - good, bad, indifferent.
so if you somehow turn up here i hope you enjoy the commentary, photos and insights
bon appetite
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
