Life in the kitchen
Cooking is not one of those things that I have a lot of experience with. Not because I'm a guy, but because I've never really had to do much cooking. Living at home with my parents for the last few years, I was lucky enough to have most meals prepared for me. I did help clean-up afterwards, but with a dishwasher going, that didn't amount to too much work.
So, now what? Well, I'm not completely useless in the kitchen - in fact, I've managed get take-out less than once a week since I've been here. That said, my meal selection has been nothing special - admittedly a few more frozen, prepared meals (e.g., chicken fingers and fries) than I'd like, but also some soups, pasta dishes and I've even marinated pork chops on occasion. The question today is, where to go from here?
What have other first-time or 'new to the kitchen' chefs done to improve their meals? Cooking classes at a local college or uber-grocery store? Found a great cookbook that full of good recipes? A good show on the Food Network or similar station? Ideas for a twist on traditional cuisine?
Oh, one tip that I can provide is - as always with me - plan ahead. If you're making chicken tonight, consider tossing on an extra breast to use in a pasta, salad or lunch later in the week. Making pasta tonight? Add an extra handful to reheat for lunch tomorrow or as a sidedish to the meal you're thinking about for dinner tomorrow. When you're cooking for just one or two people, it's so much easier to make a little more to save yourself time in the kitchen later (or to provide a more balanced meal later on).
There you go - a few questions that I'm looking for answers to, and a quick, simple tip for anyone else starting out. Although it sometimes seems like I've been living here a long time, it's only been about ten weeks now, so I've still got a lot to learn!
And, if you're wondering, no - I didn't get the poster hung this weekend. Instead, I decided that I needed to give the place a good once-over, so I took a few hours on Saturday to clean everything. Maybe this week?
So, now what? Well, I'm not completely useless in the kitchen - in fact, I've managed get take-out less than once a week since I've been here. That said, my meal selection has been nothing special - admittedly a few more frozen, prepared meals (e.g., chicken fingers and fries) than I'd like, but also some soups, pasta dishes and I've even marinated pork chops on occasion. The question today is, where to go from here?
What have other first-time or 'new to the kitchen' chefs done to improve their meals? Cooking classes at a local college or uber-grocery store? Found a great cookbook that full of good recipes? A good show on the Food Network or similar station? Ideas for a twist on traditional cuisine?
Oh, one tip that I can provide is - as always with me - plan ahead. If you're making chicken tonight, consider tossing on an extra breast to use in a pasta, salad or lunch later in the week. Making pasta tonight? Add an extra handful to reheat for lunch tomorrow or as a sidedish to the meal you're thinking about for dinner tomorrow. When you're cooking for just one or two people, it's so much easier to make a little more to save yourself time in the kitchen later (or to provide a more balanced meal later on).
There you go - a few questions that I'm looking for answers to, and a quick, simple tip for anyone else starting out. Although it sometimes seems like I've been living here a long time, it's only been about ten weeks now, so I've still got a lot to learn!
And, if you're wondering, no - I didn't get the poster hung this weekend. Instead, I decided that I needed to give the place a good once-over, so I took a few hours on Saturday to clean everything. Maybe this week?
