THREE MALE FRIENDS. Each, for his own reason, needs to learn to cook right now. One is coming to terms with his New York lifestyle which, in the recession, requires he scale back from his diner existence of three take-out meals a day. One just lost his partner in such a tragic death that we celebrate that he’s tying his own shoes. And one just saw his wife of 20 years walk out.
I’m cooking up a digital cookbook for my boys and I need your help. None of them can boil water. Do I start them on baked turkey meatballs: easy to make, produces lot for the freezer, can be sunk into broth, covered in tomato sauce, or popped into the mouth? Or do I begin their lessons with the meatloaf we’ve all come to know and love?
Help me, sisters. These are the good guys, and we can save them. I’m calling this project, Teaching John to Cook. What would you cook up for your adopted brothers in the same circumstances? Hell, you probably have sister friends in need who also don’t cook. What do we teach when we are teaching more than merely how to feed ourselves, but really how to nourish, how to thrive when the going gets tough?
Get out your recipes cards, sisters, and help a guy.
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{ 33 comments… read them below or add one }
I don’t know about the guys, but the idea of cooking a meatloaf as a new “chef” terrified me. I had visions of serving up some semi-raw mass and poisoning everyone.
I’d go with the turkey meatballs – but include instructions on how to make spaghetti – just in case.
I also remember being mystified about how to make mashed potatoes from scratch. I knew you peeled them and cut them up and they got boiled – but for how long? How do you know these things??? Ditto for broiling a steak. How long? Do you have to turn it?
I’ve got some good recipes and will dig them out a little later today.
Perfect Microwaved Rice
1 cup uncooked rice
1 3/4 cup water (or broth for more flavor)
pinch salt
Combine rice, water and salt in a glass or ceramic casserole with a well fitting lid. Microwave on 100% setting for 5 minutes then microwave 15 minutes longer at the 50% setting.
After microwaving, stir rice gently with a fork, replace cover and let sit a few minutes. Add butter or other seasonings to taste and serve. (1 cup uncooked rice yields about 3 cups cooked rice)
I have to say that if a man can cook a fine omelet, he is a king in his castle. I’d recommend showing them where to get fresh hen eggs and giving them a versatile omelet recipe. This permits them to learn special techniques (like flipping or folding?) but also use up all the leftovers in their fridge (veggies, beans, herbs, greens) in a do-it-yourself way. With a little side salad, an omelet makes everyone feel special and loved. That’s my opinion anyway… :)
Hiya, Roadchick. And welcome back. Terror seems to be the common emotion of these three men with their separate issues. Terror unites them. Well, actually I unite them, as well, since not one of them knows the other. Meatballs are so friendly. Thank you for the vote. Please do come back with those recipes.
Hi, D Wilson. What a great idea. And how generous of you to share it. I know my brothers in need will appreciate the tip. Please come back and follow our progress.
Hello, Maggie at EatBoutique. You’re right. You are absolutely right. I hadn’t thought of what skills beget what skills. Begetting is what it’s all about in cooking, isn’t it? The hen begets an egg, and I beget an omelet and teach it to the brothers after your reminder to do so. A huge thank you. Please come back.
Your request makes me think of sweet Charlie, who started out patiently perfecting both fried and scrambled eggs and moved on to absolute mastery of the sauteed chicken breast. He now slices and dices all manner of vegetables and adds them at just the right time with different seasonings. The process seems to please him as much as the results.
(He also really likes whisking things – just a random observation.)
He recently purchased a rice cooker – are your friends aware of the global rice-cooker culture? You can live out of one of those $15 appliances and apparently millions do. (There are also very expensive rice cookers, the so-called ‘fuzzy-logic’ variety, but the the majority of the hungry masses are undoubtedly using the simple ‘on-off’ ones. ) Saute a little onion and garlic in it before cooking the rice. Dump salsa in with the rice. You can also dice chicken or other meat (small) into the steaming tray that sits on top or saute the meat in the cooker before you add the rice.
Rice cookers can take a little getting used to but are infinitely adaptable in a way that seems to please at least one young male I know and love.
All my fondest memories of cooking come from mastering something I’d tried somewhere else. It started when I got my grandmother’s chocolate chip cookies just right as a child. I learned to saute mushrooms in butter (my favorite food as a teenager) and I mastered my mom’s mac and cheese alone in my first apartment. My dad walked me through his ham hock and bean soup early that winter, and I did it myself once or twice before I started experimenting with turkey. So, I guess I’d start teaching someone to cook by finding out what their favorite food is and giving them the power to create it themselves.
But after that…
Something seemingly extravagant, like a quiche, to show off with when necessary. My mom learned to make a quiche a few years ago at a family reunion. (We had left over eggs and ham; having never made one before, she went to the book store, learned the magic ratio, and pulled it off like it was old hat) and its become a signature dish for her. It really doesn’t seem that hard, and people always seem really excited by it at potlucks, family events, etc.
Stir fry is another good skill set food. You can get pretty creative after you’ve mastered the basics. My fiance expanded his repertoire and confidence in the kitchen dramatically by making one stir fry, and now when we go out for Chinese, he likes to imagine if and how he could make whatever we’re eating at home. To add to what Maggie at Eatboutique said, I also think its cheaper to know how to cook dishes like these. If you have to run out to the store for every meal, you aren’t saving any money by not eating out.
And on that note, one of the harder things to get right is meal planning and grocery shopping for a week or longer. You have to understand serving sizes, make a plan of 5-7 things you can cook, think about what you want to eat for lunch, how much snacking you’ll do, how to keep your pantry supportive of your diet, etc.
Good luck!
Big salads. Easy. Besides many veggies, can add protein (beans, tuna–now in fancy incarnations like lemon pepper–cheese, cold cuts), stuffed grape leaves–from a can!!–olives. Get a hunk of good bread. A little wine. Comfort food! And you never have to light the stove….
What about a roasted pork loin with vegetables (my favorite combination is fennel and celery)? It is so easy and quick to make and leaves enough for lunch the next day.
I’d get them a rice cooker if they eat rice 2-3 times per week. I’ve found that a lot of new cooks have problems with rice and there is a lot more choice re. inexpensive cookers that do white rice quite well.
- Easy to follow-techniques for roasting chicken breasts (chicken + rice +steamed veg = quick meal).
- Oven roasted potatoes
- I’d also come up with one mix for meatloaf/meatballs etc that could be customized with different meats + seasonings, makes the use of one technique go a little further
- Basic white sauce with a couple of easy to follow instructions for modifying into things like alfredo sauce, mac and cheese.
- Oven roasted fish fillets (in a baking dish, 400 deg, top with a bit of olive oil, herbs, S+P, OR mayo + fresh chopped herbs, OR miso, bake for 10-12 mins per inch).
-Stir fry — guys seem to like the stir fry thing — recipes for a couple of different sauces that can be stashed in the fridge, and then give them basic guidelines for proportions of meat/veg/sauce.
Sissy,
A lot of people helped me with suggestions for you on Twitter (where The Sister Project is @sisters and I am @margaretroach). Here are a few of their suggestions:
From @segnavia
a simple risotto would rock – lots of flexibility for adding ingreds, takes time not skill, always impressive on the table!
From @justlemmom
how to grill meat, basic white sauce, basic vinaigrette
From @tinnintweet
being a guy, I suggest meatloaf and pizza. Both are easy to prepare and can be shared with new friends. Comfort food!
From @Flaxandspindle
Roasting a chicken is the 1st thing that I learned. it’s easy and after can be turning into a lot of different leftovers!
From @2make1thing
Frittatas are a great place to start. Poached fish. Roasted veggies. Salads w/ homemade dressing. These seem simple to me.
I second (and third) a roasted chicken (or chicken breast at least…) It is so SATISFYING, very easy, and gives a great confidence boost.
My husband started our marriage able to make an omelet. Now he does much of the cooking while I knit. Do I have it made, or what?
Your meatloaf and meatballs are great ideas: good, solid man-friendly foods. Why not combine them, and teach them a single recipe: a beef-turkey mix they can either bake in loaf form or divide and cook as meatballs?
I think being able to cook an egg well is the skill that has gotten me through the most mealtimes.
Have them read some M.F.K. Fisher to get them in the mood.
Startlingly easy:
1. Couscous! It has pretty much replaced rice in my diet, because it is ready in five minutes.
2. Steamed artichoke! For a vegetable that is quite intimidating, it’s really easy to cook. Just trim the pointy bits and pop it in some boiling water for about half an hour. Melt some butter and voila!
Crockpot cooking is a great way to start. Just being able to throw everything in to a pot and walk away from it. No fuss.
Ideas for crock pot: Chili, Stew, BBQ Pork.. even bread & jam
Another super simple thing… sandwiches. Nothing is more satisfying then a hearty, healthy sandwich you built yourself. You can go with cold deli style sandwiches or simple grilled sandwiches, to keep it easy.
Scrambled Eggs. Sooo easy. Plus have them add in extras to jazz it up: chopped ham, chopped peppers, chorizo, onions, bacon, cheese, mushrooms, spinach… on and on. Back it up with a side of toast & it’s a great start to the day!
Stir Fry! Again… a no brainer to cook. Cook your meat/tofu and add in your favorite veg & sauce (can even just be soy sauce or a bottled teriyaki sauce so it takes out the intimidation factor of creating your own sauce from scratch) If they want a side of rice, either show them how to cook rice (which is an important skill to have) or turnt hem down the aisle that carries Boil in Bag or Minute Rice… you just can’t fail with those and they are fast in a pinch.
Roasted Vegetables – Make a little vinaigrette of Balsamic, Olive Oil, Rosemary, Salt & Pepper (can use it on a salad too!) Throw it over cut up chunks of vegetables and roast them on a sheet pan until brown. Potatoes, Carrots, Onions, Mushrooms, Asparagus, Beets, Parsnips, Brussels, Peppers… just to name a few that work well like this.
Pasta dishes. Start with teaching them to properly cook pasta… that is something alot of people just overdo. Nothing is worse than mushy pasta. After that give them the basics like Marinara, Carbonara, Bolognese. Keep the sauce creation simple, but let them know that they can change it up by adding their own touches to it once they are comfortable with the basics.
Salad. Spring & summer approaching no time is better than now to teach them how to create gorgeous salads. Introduce them to salad greens other than Iceberg… but hey throw in a wedge salad too… guys like those ;) Start with some basic homemade vinaigrette they can make easily too. Don’t forget a couple fruit salads… jazzed up with a little honey lemon, ginger or mint!
Going back to a basic… Boiling an egg. Sliced eggs can be added to salads. Whole unpeeled eggs can be packed in a lunch. Chopped eggs with some mayo and mustard make an awesome sandwich filling. Crushed egg yolks makes a decadent topping to pan fried asparagus or green beans.
Most importantly… ask them what they like and build from there. Ask them what is “comfort food” to them… include a recipe for each of them that embodies that idea of comfort food, even if you have to simplify the recipe a bit.
It’s a great thing you are doing for these gentlemen. They may not even have a need for comfort food with such a great Sister-friend at their sides :)
I hope my suggestions were of some kind of help.
If these boys need to cook for themselves, they need to include in their diets 1)protein 2)starch 3)veggies 4)fruit and 5)fat
Easy. Teach them roast chicken. I chicken rubbed with olive oil, sprinkled with herbs, salt & pepper placed in 350 oven 1 hr
Baked potato, white or sweet, pasta both easy. Potato, wash dry poke holes with fork. 450 oven 45min. Or cut up potato and place with chicken. Pasta, read directions.
Salad with an easy viniagrette. Have tuna in the house. There are 3 meals in there somewhere. Fish! En papillote! With foil or parchment. Fish, salt. &pepper, herb such as tarragon, basil, chopped tomato, capers, close and put in 350 oven 10 minutes. Nice salad and potato. Yum. And perhaps a cookie. Take perfect toll house cookie recipe off package. The boys can add peanut butter chips, coconut, Heath bat pieces, cocoa to make chocolate chocolate chip cookies, a million variations. They could make the perfect meal if they meet another! Or, the perfect meal to thank a friend as dear as you!
Don’t forget grilled cheese sandwiches, which have endless variations because you can use different types of bread and cheese, also you can add ham or tomatoes for an extra special touch. Easy, fast & the definition of comfort food.
Another good thing is marinating. Take any piece of meat, coat with oil (olive, canola, sesame, peanut, etc) and an acidic liquid (vinegar, lemon/lime juice, soy sauce, etc), exact proportions not critical. Include minced garlic, salt, pepper, diced onions, herbs & spices, whatever suits your fancy. Then let it sit in a big bowl in the fridge all day or overnight. When you get home, fry or grill or bake.
Also consider soup. In my experience, there is no way to mess up soup. You can buy chicken or beef stock, then add whatever meat, veggies, pasta , rice and/or spices you like.
Ok – back with recipes!
Baked Beans
2 cans pork & beans
1 white onion – chopped
1/4 barbecue sauce
3/4 cup brown sugar (light or dark, doesn’t matter)
1 Tbsp. molasses (it keeps forever, or at least I hope it does)
3 strips raw bacon
Dump everything (except the bacon) into a baking dish (9×13 or whatever is big enough to hold all of it) and stir together (carefully, or you’ll be mopping up beans and molasses. NOT FUN.) Lay bacon strips on top. Get artistic with it. Bake at 400 degrees for 1 to 1.5 hours.
Uncle Joe’s Beef Stew
(He’s my uncle – now he’s your uncle too!)
This is the important part – use a stainless steel pot that is almost not quite big enough to hold everything. In my house, it’s the 3 quart saucepan with a tight fitting lid with a FLAT knob – you’ll see why in a minute.
Get 1 – 1.5 pounds of beef. The grocery store will even have packages of “stew meat”. Get that. It’s easy.
Dredge the meat in a mixture of flour, salt, and pepper. Use seasoned salt if you’re feeling frisky. Experiment with it. Try garlic powder and onion powder too. It will all work out. I promise.
Brown the meat in the saucepan using some butter or margarine.
Then layer:
Beef (already on the bottom)
Carrots (cut in chunks)
Onions (however you want to cut them)
Celery (cut in chunks)
Potatoes (peeled and cut in chunks)
Add 1 cup of water and 2 beef bouillion cubes. Put the lid on the pan and weight it down – try a brick wrapped in aluminum foil. Cook on medium to medium low for 1.5 hours or so. (Check the pan to make sure the heat is not too high – if it’s too high, the juice will be running down the sides. Just turn it down a little. DON’T OPEN THE LID!)
When it’s done, squirt ketchup all over the top and mix gently. (Makes it’s own tomatoey-beefy gravy.)
Soup
(any kind – you’re going to make it up as you go – great for leftover veg.)
Depending on how much soup you want:
1 or 2 quart boxes of the stock of your choice (chicken, beef, veg, etc.)
Frozen or leftover veg – any kind. Doesn’t matter. Toss it in there. Add lots of different colors. Make it pretty. (Then you know it’s good for you!)
If you’re going for the beef base – try adding a can of V-8 or tomato juice. Or dump in a can of tomatoes.
Still hungry? Dump in that leftover rice or macaroni.
You can toss shrimp in.
Taste it – add salt, pepper, other seasoning.
You cannot mess up soup. I promise.
My best advice? Get a crockpot. It’s hard to mess that up. Dump in a roast, a can of broth, some carrots, onions, and potatoes. Turn it on and go to work. Come home and dinner is waiting for you.
edit: 1/4 CUP barbecue sauce for the beans.
I should proofread BEFORE I hit submit.
One day, I will remember this.
Salad dressing – a nice vinaigrette.
Also, salmon with a little wine, maybe some dill, cooked in foil so it doesn’t stink up the apartment. Then make some Knorr hollandaise sauce, some couscous or boiled potatoes, salad and you’re done. Good enough for company.
Oooh, Sisters. You’re the best. Thanks to Mary Elizabeth for the image of her son, whisking, and the suggestion of the rice cooker.
Liz: Cookies, mushrooms, quiche and stir-fry. Oh yes. Great thoughts, indeed.
Maureen: Salads. “D’Oh!” As Homer Simpson would say, “D’oh.” Yup. Salads.
Norah: Yes. Pork loin. One of my first things that I learned to cook and so versatile. You bet. Thank you.
Janice: You’re right about a basic white sauce, as well as fish and stir fry. Those are simple, quick and can last a lifetime, can’t they?
Thanks to Margaret for putting us out there on Twitter, and to the Twitterers whose suggestions are all going into the digi-book for my 3 men.
Annie: A roasted chicken was the very first thing my father taught me to cook. Our mother didn’t cook much, but that’s another story.
Vanillagrrl: How did I forget the basic egg? Oh, yes. Thank you. So much can be done with that one staple.
Thanks to Danielle for the cous cous and steamed artichoke. I lives on steamed artichokes in college. Absolutely.
Kelly: Your list is imply going in whole. Perfect suggestions. Please come back an see how they do.
Andrea: All your suggestions are lovely and thoughtful. And loving. So appreciated.
Sandy: Grilled cheese is a religion. And I’m a worshipper. Thank you. Marinating and soup are right up there in my devotion.
Thanks for the recipes, Roadchick. Perfect! You’ve helped save three lives today.
And Pam: Yes. Ooops. I almost forgot salad dressing. Ha! But salmon. So easy, so fancy at the same time. So nourishing. Lovely.
I agree w/ roast chicken – it is 3 meals:
roast chicken and salad, bread and wine
chicken tacos or chicken salad
chicken soup (or at least broth to freeze for adding to rice pilaf, making a pan sauce from sauteed chicken, etc)
i would also buy them the fannie farmer and cook’s illustrated cookbooks- the latter has a 30 min recipe version
here via margaret on twitter :)
The best thing you can teach them is NOT to be afraid!! to experiment! 90% of it will be edible, even if it isn’t a success.
My college/bachelor-friend staples, in no particular order:
“fancy” grilled cheese – bread, nice cheese, basil, honey, tomato slices. cook as you would a regular grilled cheese.
big salads: lots of baby greens, slice up a cucumber, tomato, scallions or red onion. that’s your base. add anything: carrots, bacon, chickpeas, other veggies, watermelon, strawberries, nuts of any kind, loads of herbs like cilantro or basil. dress with goddess dressing or olive oil/balsamic glaze.
super-simple pasta: get tortellini or similar from the store; boil water, use canned or make your own sauce. so easy. my mom’s easy sauce was as simple as ground beef in a pan until brown, dump in a can of tomato paste, some ragu, and extra veggies. voila.
i wholeheartedly agree with whoever said eggs. omelettes are divine. my amazing boyfriend makes them by mixing near equal parts egg and milk, whipping it up, and then letting it cook over low heat with tons of butter. he adds a lid so it steams. flip and then add your veggies (cooked in another pan) and fold. i like them with spinach, red peppers, bacon, scallions, and cheddar.
roast chicken or even baked is another easy one; just put the chicken parts in a pan, rub in olive oil and spices, and bake at 350 for 1-2 hours. we just test by pulling a piece off and seeing how it is! easy. add bbq sauce, cream of mushroom soup, jerk spices, etc. if these guys have access to a grill, even better; they can do manly summer grilling and still have tasty food. i like to grill bone-in chicken leg quarters (far juicier and more tender than bone-out breast) rubbed with salt, pepper, olive oil, paprika, cayenne, whole grain mustard, and bbq sauce. low heat makes for super juicy chicken that is divine alone, with veggies, in pasta dishes, or in a salad three days later. good call on the marinating, the longer the better.
soup is a great suggestion, i am just terrible at it.
if they are the healthy type, or enjoy cold lunch in the hot summer, i love a chickpea salad: can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), throw in some cilantro, mint, roasted red peppers if you want, diced red onion, kalamata olives, and squeeze in half a meyer lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper. i like to slice the meyer lemon up really tiny and add that in too.
couscous is a great non-pasta or rice side dish. or sweet or purple potatoes for a little more interest and nutrition than your regular white baking potato.
buy frozen veggies rather than canned. they are healthier. making meat is time consuming, so make enough for leftovers. a few leftover steaks or chickens can be meat/salad, meat/veggies, meat/soup, meat/grain/veg, sandwich and more for an entire week.
check out cookingforengineers.com
roasted veggies: asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, etc all highly improved by a drizzle of olive oil, coarse salt, pepper, and thrown in the oven.
again on the grill, kabobs – so easy. chunk of meat, zucchini, pepper, onion, squash, etc. done.
and a last necessity, a good chocolate chip cookie recipe! this is my favorite: http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/01/chocolate-chip-cookies/ it never fails.
the only other tip i have is to plan ahead! make leftovers, get tupperware, keep ahead of it. you end up buying out/not eating when you come home tired and don’t have any motivation, so make it easy for yourself :) good luck! let us know how it goes :)
Hello Marion – have enjoyed many of the posts but not commented until now. I think chili and making spaghetti sauce/lasagna were what my brothers learned first. My mom was big on learning to chop vegetables!
My tweet said “Might be traumatic for new cooks 2 start w/ whole raw chickens and forming raw grnd beef into meatballs. Non-cooks squeamish”. That was true in my experience when my brothers and sons were in the late-teens to mid-twenties age range, but might not be true for your 3 guys since they’re older.
Perhaps while teaching them to roast chickens and make meatloaf and cook eggs you could also introduce concepts of food safety, cross-contamination and instant thermometers?
I keep flashing back to Third Rock from the Sun, when Sally realized that making a meatloaf means you get dead cow on your hands. For some people the first meatloaf is the last meatloaf.
Good luck with the Teaching John to Cook project!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
I have to go with pasta — so easy, so good, infinite number of variations (red sauce, white sauce, olive oil & sauteed veggies). It’s (nearly) impossible to mess up.
Stir fry is another. Start by buying the veggies already cut up (frozen). Homemade stir fry sauce is easy to make (lots of online recipes — variations with soy sauce, garlic, broth, sherry, ginger, etc.). Can add chicken or beef or not.
This sounds like a fun project — at least they want to learn! I’d love to “teach” my husband — the non-cooker.
Marion,
Share the book – Glorious One Pot Meals. The dutch oven does all the work.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Jim
T likes to cook lemon bars, but I certainly wouldn’t classify that under cooking 101.
My suggestion (bear in mind I’m a vegetarian) is to slather anything in olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast on a baking sheet.
Hi, eM: You’re absolutely right. And that is just what my father taught me when he taught me to cook: Three meals in one chicken. Such a good reminder. Please come on back and see how they do.
Hi, Elyse. And welcome. Fancy grilled cheese. How fabulous is that? I love a fancy grilled cheese, a peek-a-boo grilled cheese, a grilled cheese cut into wacky shapes, in all any grilled cheese. Such a good thought. cookingforengineers.com is now my absolute favorite new thing. Thank you. And please come back.
Yo, Annie, deep in the heart of Austin. Chili. Ah. How did I forget my chili thing I do in my slow cooker? Well, you reminded me, and now I’m all about talking chili with the men. Yes, the dead cow. Or would it be no, the dead cow? I loved that, too. Thank you.
Hey, Christine. Stir fry delights everyone, doesn’t it? You can hardy believe your eyes, ears and nose as it comes together under your gaze. What a great reminder.
And Jim: Yes. I now keep the book on my desk. And am sharing it liberally with them. You’re right and when you’re right, Jim, you’re right.
Okay, excuse this late post–I had visitors lately and couldn’t sit down to write until now…
The first things I taught my son to cook were pasta and scrambled eggs. Boil water, add pasta, wait 6-8 minutes, drain, swirl in 2tsp oil, or your sauce or butter. Add what ever else you want to complete the dish.
Scrambled eggs are a no-brainer unless you walk away from the stove. Then you may have a burned omelette. If you cook them (we called them “coddled” eggs, but in Ireland that’s how my husband makes ‘em) in a double boiler, they are lighter and fluffier but a bit more work, esp. to clean the pan, so beware.
And now for Cooking 102, which someday will happen, I hope. Books I’d recommend for those guys? Try “How To Make Soup” from the Cook’s Illustrated Library (1999, Boston Common Press). They have a no-fail recipe for making good chicken stock from scratch in 45 minutes–not including the time it takes to chop up chicken parts for the stock (which involves a mallet and chef’s knife in my kitchen: guaranteed to make a man feel like he just hunted down 4lbs of chicken parts on the Great Plains…) It’s step-by-step and illustrated. Good for when boxed stock won’t do, or when they get to the point of itching to make their own.
Another book I’d recommend (since I’ve made nearly all the recipes in it and they are good, by and large) is “Saved By Soup” by Judith Barrett (William Morrow, 1999.) The book’s recipes are low-fat and beautifully photographed. It also includes fruit soups that require no cooking for summer.
For guys who approach cooking like changing oil in their cars, the Alton Brown books “Just Here for the Food” and “Just Here for More Food” are more than how-to: they explain the chemistry behind cooking and baking; good recipes too.
If your friends get this far, there’s many a cold winter’s night that can be brightened by homemade soup with good bread. If they don’t want to eat alone forever investing in some hand-thrown ceramic bowls for serving is nice. Mine are all different and a great way to serve something you made with love by hand to a friend or special hungry someone. –djs
Hey, DJ. I’m taking on the topic of what to read in this week’s installment of Teaching John to Cook, in part because of your wonderful suggestions. Thanks so much. I know my three men will benefit from this.
I’m a little late to your cooking party… but here are my two cents…
First of all, hearty congrats to your men for taking on this crucial but infinitely varied challenge. I heartily agree with the mastering of the egg (scrambles to omelette to fried egg sando to fritatta to quiche) and the roast chicken. I think that it’s important to master the everyday cooking for one and turn it into something that is less of a chore. I’m a huge fan of the crockpot and all that it can accomplish. It’s my go-to cooking trick (as a working mom, which is worlds away from your trio, but I cooked and froze leftovers from my crockpot for years as a single gal). Lately, I’ve made yogurt, autumn stew, the most delicious baked sweet potatoes spiced with chili powder and cumin, roast chicken, Indian butter chicken, veggie chili, pumpkin spice lattes for a crowd, risotto, cobbler, EVERYTHING! Plus, it’s a great way to get some of the cooking going early while you work on the tricky dishes for a dinner party. I use this site: http://www.crockpot365.blogspot.com, where Stephanie crocks and posts a recipe every day for a year (2008)! She is no master chef and talks about her successes and failures with equal humor (the ‘verdict’ section explains how things turned out).
One more thing to read: Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes A Day. I love you, fresh bread.
Hi, Anne. Oooooh, crock-potting for a year. I love this site, and you are a true sister for sharing it. For some reason I only crock in the cold, but now I’m thinking it’s a year-round sport, for sure. And I love someone who shares her failures, as well as her successes, another true sisterly thing to do. Happy holidays to you and please come back soon.
Hi there, Annabelle, and thanks for this p.s. A great title for a book: “I love you, fresh bread.” I, too, bake all our bread, and am grateful for this wonderful source. Thank you, and happiest of holidays.