Food is fun, and you don't even have to throw it! (Home Cooking - Helpful Hints and Tips)

Member Name: MorganaDQ

Product:	Home Cooking - Helpful Hints and Tips
Date:	30/08/01 (428 review reads)
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I remember sitting as a child and watching both my parents cook. It doesn’t take much to remember, because they’re such wonderful memories to begin with.

My mum was the kind to make the more traditional meals. The Sunday roast, with it’s golden-skinned chicken glistening at us from the centre of the table, the tall, light Yorkshire puddings which just melted in your mouth, the roast potatoes with the crispy, well done edges and soft, fluffy insides which just oozed the flavour of the meat juices they’d been cooked in. And don’t forget the bread stuffing, moist and herby and oh just so undeniably droolsome it had to sit right in front of me at the table, within reach, for the inevitable second helping.

My mum was, and still is, a proud cook. She apologises profusely when the Yorkshire puds don’t rise, and if the gravy separates she’s none too chuffed either. She takes great pride in the meals she prepares for her family, and however basic or traditional they are they always taste wonderful because she made them. She made them for the people she loves, and she takes care when she does. And it shows, too.

She bakes too, my mum. I’d help her when I was little, sifting flour, measuring out the sugar. If I could reach, I could do it. Like a lot of us I imagine, the first thing I ever baked on my own were jam tarts. They must have looked dreadful, clumsily crafted with my chubby little fingers. But they were mine; I’d made them. And I’d had fun doing it. I’d had so much fun I wanted to bake with her again and again and again. And I did.

Then there’s my dad. Yup, he cooked too. I loved watching him most of all. My eyes would follow his every move, scrutinising as he tasted, then went to the cupboard, opened a jar or packet and sniffed it. He’d either put it away again or he’d add some to the pan. Then he’d taste again, and he
217;d keep going through the same thing over and over until it was just right. And when his back was turned I’d have a sneaky taste, too. And I’d look at what he was putting in, then I’d taste it again. And I learned from watching him and mimicking him. And that’s how I cook now, and I love it.

Now my kitchen is MY kitchen. It’s the place I’m most comfortable in. It’s like my own little home inside my home, if that makes sense. Woe betides anyone who tries to help me, even just by chopping onions or peeling carrots. My kitchen is where I can be myself most of all, and where I can remember my many hours spent watching my parents as a child.

You’re thinking, “But this is meant to be helpful hints and tips”. And it is, trust me. I know I’m being a little self-indulgent here, and I’m allowed to be, it’s my opinion after all. But think about what I’ve already told you. Cooking is supposed to be fun. If you don’t enjoy it, don’t force yourself to do it. Don’t worry about what’s the ‘correct’ way to do things, just do them your way.

I have a fair number of cookery books, from Marguerite Patten’s 1,000 Favourite Recipes, to Jamie Oliver’s Return of the Naked Chef. I could count on one hand the number of times I’ve followed a recipe from them.

I read cookery books almost like I read novels. When I get a new one I sit and I read it from cover to cover. I use them for ideas, for inspiration, more than I do the specific recipes they supply us with. And that’s how it should be. I know it would be wonderful to create that Roasted Sweet Garlic, Thyme, and Marscapone Risotto with Toasted Almonds and Breadcrumbs, perfectly, as our lovely little Jamie so beautifully crafted with his own inimitable style onto paper. But I don’t buy marscapone, and I can’t afford to. So I su
bstitute with something else I do have, like Philadelpia cream cheese. Maybe I don’t like thyme, so I use herbs I love, instead. You see? It’s all about what YOU want, not what everyone else tells you that you want.

What if you try to follow recipes and they turn out different to the way they’re supposed to? It doesn’t matter, not one jot. If it still tastes good, and you’re out to impress, give it a different name and tell people you came up with it yourself. Well you did, didn’t you? You changed something in the recipe so it’s your own creation. So what if it was accidental? Some of the best meals have been created that way, in my home anyway.

I do follow recipes with baking, though. If I didn’t my cakes would never be light and fluffy, and my biscuits would, more likely than not, be more suitable as Oddjob’s new throwing weapon than they are edible. But I adapt some recipes, too. My favourite biscuits came about by adapting a recipe for Melting Moments. Instead of rolling them in coconut or oats, I rolled them in cinnamon. My coffee cake has MUCH more coffee in it than any recipe I’ve ever seen, and it’s the best as far as both me and my hubby are concerned.

You don’t need to be a genius in the kitchen to create great meals. One of my favourite ones is tomato pasta. It’s incredibly basic, but you can add almost anything to it to make it taste even better. See? Try starting with a very basic recipe and add things you think might taste nice in it too. One day I could add chunks of Feta cheese and a handful of tarragon and make it taste completely different to another day, when I add lots of garlic, chilli and spicy sausage. Experiment. That’s what it’s about. Please yourself coz it’s you doing all the hard work.

Don’t worry about having lots of gadgets either. For the most part they end up sat in the back o
f a drawer or cupboard, having been used once, if that. The most important thing, in my opinion, is a good quality, sharp knife. Just one is all you need. But before you buy it make sure it feels right in your hand, don’t just buy the first one you see. You’ll be using it for years to come with some luck, so it needs to be the right weight for you. It needs to balance naturally in your hand, so that when you’re using it, it doesn’t feel awkward and laboured.

The most used items in my kitchen would be my knife (obviously), a colander (use a sieve if you don’t have one, they do the same job), stainless steel pans (they’re easier to clean than enamel – I think – and if you can afford copper bottom ones, even better), wok (perfect for flash frying, stir fries, deep frying (small amounts, obviously)), good quality baking sheets (I’ve owned ones on which the coating comes off with food…. ugh), garlic press (you could just use your knife to squish and chop it, but I’ve yet to figure out how to get the smell off my fingers within days). The only thing I’m really missing is a good pestle and mortar. It’s just one of those things I never get round to buying, and I have all these spices and ideas I want to try which are darn near impossible to do without them.

It’s not easy sometimes, producing a fabulous meal from nothing. But it’s possible to do. I don’t often have this problem because I can usually look in the bare cupboard and come up with something tasty and filling, but not everyone can. So, if you’re reading this you’re online. And if you’re online, there’s hundreds of websites out there to tickle your taste buds and get your juices flowing. Some of them have tools that allow you to enter ingredients, and within seconds there can be a recipe in front of you. Or just browse them instead. Trust me when I tell you that ther
e’s a huge amount of people out there just waiting for you to come along and use their ideas in your own home.

There, back to ideas again. It didn’t take long did it? Use your imagination, but give yourself plenty of time to do it. I’m well practiced in the art of juggling three saucepans, an oven, and a grill. Sometimes the microwave too. But a lot of people aren’t, and there’s no harm in, if you’re able to, turning your oven onto a low heat and keeping a few things hot in there while you finish something else off. Sometimes it’s the only thing that will save your sanity.

A clean and tidy kitchen helps. If it isn’t, it can be so easy to get confused and irritated while you’re trying to create your culinary masterpiece. Lots of workspace is great, and it should be used to its advantage. If I’m making a stir-fry, for example, I’ll prepare all the ingredients first and have them ready to cook as soon as I need them. Stir-fries are so quick, if you didn’t have things ready, you’d end up overcooking your ingredients, and that’s no good. So that workspace comes in useful – line all the ingredients up, in their own little bowls if you want to. Have plenty of space for chopping, it’ll cut down on the likelihood of cutting yourself (well it does in this house, anyway).

Don’t forget to be safe. Kitchen = hot things, sharp things, and slippy things. Use common sense, and you should come out unscathed. And don’t forget to keep a very close eye on the kiddiewinks when they’re loose in the kitchen either. I’m gonna give you a classic example of ignorance not being bliss very shortly.

Whatever you do, have fun. There’s no point otherwise. You may as well just grab a frozen ready meal and nuke it, in that case. Think about what you like, and try it. If it doesn’t work, it’s not the end of t
he world. This isn’t ‘Masterchef’, it’s the kitchen at No. 13 Burnit Drive, or something.

Want it in easy to follow point form? Ok, here goes:

· Read cookbooks for inspiration as well as recipes
· Surf websites for ideas
· Experiment with foods you like
· Enjoy yourself
· Practice
· Don’t worry about gadgets, get basic, good quality equipment
· Enjoy yourself
· Have a clean and tidy kitchen
· Be safe, and know your surroundings
· Give yourself plenty of time
· Stay calm when ‘disasters’ occur
· Enjoy yourself

I’m gonna leave you with a scary, and true story. May this serve as a warning to all parents leaving rug rats to see to dinner.


Mum: “We’re popping into town for a while. Can you put the chips into the fryer at 5 o’clock if we’re not back? They’re in the pan of water by the sink.”
Me: “Okay. See you later.”

5 o’clock arrives and no parents in sight. Fryer is switched on and light watched. Brother walks into the kitchen, and on seeing the fryer is ready to be used, opens the lid, grabs the pan containing chipped potatoes and water, and goes to pour it all into the fryer.

Me: “NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!”
Brother: “What?” Bewildered look is returned as he wonders what’s wrong with me.

It was a close call. If I hadn’t realised in time what was about to happen, no kitchen, and probably no brother would have been left standing by the time my parents arrived home.

So let your kids watch you cook. Let them see your mistakes as well as your triumphs. Let them see how you deal with them, and make sure they know the dangers. Then watch them grow up into adults who love food AND cooking.

I’m one of four kids, and we all love cooking. I give my mum and dad five stars :)


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Oops, I forgot to give you a few URL's to be going on with.

http://www.taste.co.uk/recipe/index.jsp
http://www.yumyum.com
http://www.recipeweb.co.uk

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