Day 122- Fixing Cookign Disasters

Day 122- Fixing Cooking Disasters

At an early age, my dad got me and my brother into the kitchen to help him cook. Since then, I have really enjoyed cooking, which is good. When I became vegetarian, I had to learn how to cook for myself. Since then, I have become the resident cook for our family and one of the resident cooks for our Co-Op.

Cooking your own meals are great. They cost less and are healthier for you and the environment. I know a lot of people--who went through college no less--who swear they cannot cook. I know they are lying though. Every one can make something. Even if it is Kraft Mac and Cheese, you can heat something up. Brian Regan shows how any one can cook.



But here are some helpful tips on getting on the fast track to cooking.

1. Get yourself a good cook book. There are a lot out there. A lot. Seriously, a lot of cook books. But how do you know which one to get? Well, get one that fits you. Make sure you look through it first. Does it have food you would like to eat? Does it look like it is at your skill level?Does it have pictures so you can follow along? Make a day of it at Barnes and Noble's or your local used book store and really read the recipes and the descriptions of things. Some books I can recommend are: The Joy of Cooking, The Betty Crocker Cookbook, Mark Bitteman's How To Cook Everything, and Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone. I especially like the Madison book. I read that one like it was a Faulkner.

2. Watch Cooking Shows- Cookbooks--even ones that have pictures--may be able to show you recipes, but they are not stellar at teaching technique. What do "stiff peaks" actually look like? How golden-brown is "golden brown"? Questions like these are best answered in real life. Watching cooking shows is a great way to get the "feel" of cooking. But just a warning-these are professionals who have 20 minutes to cook a meal. They can go fast. You should not. If it is the first time with a recipe, take your time to really learn the recipe. Get used to the sights, sounds, smells, colors and tastes that go into cooking your meal.

3.Taste and Clean As You Go- Whenever I add something to the pan or the pot, I always taste it. Does it need more pepper? More salt? Is it too spicy? What would balance this better? Get to know what things taste like--and how they change in relation to one another. And when I have a moment of down time, I always try to wipe off the counter and move my dirty plates, knives, spoons and bowls into the dishwasher. It makes clean-up easier after the meal.

4. Assess your meals- If you have loads of leftovers that go bad in the back of the fridge, why exactly is that the case? On the other hand, what made is meal so successful that people were disappointed when it ran out? Really try to understand your meals.

5. Learn From Your Mistakes and Try to Avoid Them- Mistakes are bound to happen. That's OK. Maybe you over-spiced your chili (a common mistake for me). Maybe you burnt the bottom of the pot. Maybe your fish is soggy. When you notice your mistakes and learn from them, you can work hard to avoid them next time. Real Simple has a great guide to avoiding common cooking mistakes.

Alright, with these things in mind, you are on your way toward being a competent cook--thus letting you eat more home cooked meals and reducing your reliance on eating out.

Competency Moment of the Week: Our house gave our landlord our 30 days notice. We have also sent in our applications for a wonderful new house with more rooms, more space and less rent. You better believe we will have some moving competency entries coming up.

Also, my mom requested a post on pickles and jams. That will be coming on Wednesday.