Help me cook!

[winodj]

So I cooked and I conquered. The results are in and it was good twice over. My boyfriend loved it too. I used a touch too much olive oil, but the homemade risotto was real good and the steak soaked in wine was excellent!

Thanks for all your tips. Now if I can remember to do the dishes, I'll be cooking again tomorrow

Thanks!

[Suvir Saran]

Roger,

What cook book did you buy?  And congratulations on cooking that meal your boyfriend and you both loved.

When I first read saffron on this thread, I had wondered.. saffron is certainly not cheap.  But you can use very little, keep the rest saved in your refrigerator.  And contrary to most other peoples thoughts, a little saffron, very gently toasted over a low flame for a brief minute and then ground, can be a great garnish.  And just a strand or two.  

Lentils, beans and vegetables are certainly inexpensive and an easy way to eat healthy and yet save money.  Lentils and rice or Beans and Rice with a vegetable would give you protein and starch and fiber and save money.  

You can search the web for some Indian recipes.  Temper the heat in them to your taste.  And as you get used to Indian cooking, if you are not familiar already, you can have a companion that is inexpensive yet very full of taste when thinking of budget food with a zing.

Washing dishes as you cook is a great thing to do.  Makes clean up easier afterwards and will make cooking less of a cumbersome chore.  Cooking at home and meals eaten at home can be very fulfilling and rewarding and wonderful.  And certainly you can monitor the cost efficiently.

[winodj]

I got How To Cook Everything. Really like the book. My friend has the Joy of Cooking and everything in it takes forever. I like this one because it has simpler recipes for the bachelor with a really limited kitchen.

Thanks again for all the help, I'll be sure to ask again soon!

[Steve Klc]

For winodj and anyone else following the steak--be sure to go here:

http://www.egullet.com/ib3....2;t=158

Ducasse does steak, in simple interesting fashion.

[Rachel Perlow]

Yes, I have to try steak that way. I usually do it in a cast iron pan, but I tended to sear the edges after cooking the flat sides. His advice to brown them first, rendering the fat for cooking the sides was a total AH HA! moment for me.

Here's a simple preparation for winodj I'm planning to try soon. When in DC recently I had the best chicken dish. It was roast baby chicken served over quinoa with okra. Quinoa is a grain that is similar in taste/texture to cous cous (which is actually a pasta). In fact cous cous could easily be substituted if you can't find the quinoa. Here is a link to a webpage with additional quinoa info & cooking instructions. Cous cous is also very easy to cook: Boil 2 cups salted water or preferably stock, add 1 cup cous cous, stir, put lid on pot, turn off heat, let sit for 5 minutes. The baby chicken was stuffed with sauteed mushrooms, but these could be served on the side (or mixed into the grain) if you substitute chicken parts.

The grain really soaked up the chicken juices and was a delicious accompaniment. The baby chicken was about half the size of a cornish game hen, but that would be a good substitute, or even just chicken parts or preparing a whole bird stuffed with mushrooms would be delicious. Plain white button mushrooms would definitely be acceptable. Once you saute them with garlic and olive oil they are delicious. I usually cut them in slices or quarters depending on size. Adding a small amount of dried porcini towards the beginning of the saute (while they are rendering a lot of liquid) flavors the whole dish. Don't buy the dried mushrooms in the tiny packets at a regular grocery store, it is worth a trip to a specialty Italian market to get buy them from a bulk bin. I usually get a quart size plastic container of them when I got to Mike's Deli on Arthur Ave in the Bronx. It doesn't cost as much as you'd think because they are very light and a little goes a long way.

I would probably skip the okra, and instead serve some lightly sauteed spinach. Or even raw shredded baby spinach - the heat and juices from the chicken will wilt the leaves - good idea Rail Paul!

[jhlurie]

winodj, I'll emulate cabrales and give the "non-cooks" answer to "how to make the most out of ordinary dinner food".  In truth, I'm not sure if this is purely a cooking question, as much as one of how you approach eating.

The answer (and I see this as a major discovery for someone like myself with no patience for food preparation) is to add just a little something extra to each thing you eat.  This applies whether you haul in food someone made for you, or if you made it yourself.

Lemon juice, lime juice, cilantro, fresh basil, mint, sliced apples, cinammon, wine, honey, maple, orange peel, hot pepper... SOMETHING on this list (or very much like it) is going to ring your bell if added to certain foods.  Cabrales spoke about dairy--and buying good cheese is always a start.  Good bread helps too.

Don't equate a lack of cooking skill to an inability to enjoy what you are eating.  There is a big difference.

[MrDelicious]

Here's my favorite cheap recipe for pasta.

I saw this one on of the Anthony Bourdain episodes about "technique":

Based on that show, here's what I came up with:

1/2 cup of olive oil

add 1 bunch of fresh basil leaves coarsely chopped.

add 10 cloves of garlic coarsely chopped.

add a large pinch of salt

add a large pinch of pepper

add a pinch of red pepper flakes

put on the stove on the lowest setting for 15-30 minutes. don't let it boil. just warm. (You're making a tea)

strain the olive oil and reserve

If you have an immersion blender:

Add a large can of tomatoes (28oz), add the olive oil and warm. Emulsify with an immersion blender.

If you don't have a blender do this instead:

Add a large can of tomato sauce (28oz), add the olive oil and warm. Emulsify with a whisk.

Add salt as needed.

Add more pepper flakes as needed (you should just barely notice the heat)

Boil a pound of spaghetti in salty water (salty like the ocean) until just about done.

Add it to the sauce and mix and heat until pasta is done.

Serve.

This is the only sauce where I don't want cheese, I don't want meat. It's perfect the way it is.

When heating up leftovers, add a tiny pat of butter (or olive oil) to a skillet and heat up your leftovers.