Like many people, I tend to start the summer with a to-do list. Currently on deck? Learning how to cook. Now, don't get me wrong - I can feed myself adequately. I'm not one of those individuals who has to call their mom every time they want to hard boil an egg, or whatever. I can make some basics, and I can usually turn random ingredients out of the fridge into something halfway decent given a Google recipe search and an hour or so.
But. Cooking this way, while it does allow me to, you know, not starve to death, generally produces results anywhere from "mediocre" to "pretty okay" on the Delicious-Food-O-Meter.
My cooking attempts literally never turn out this appetizing. I don't even like salmon spread and green peppers, but I'm running a Google search for this recipe as I write this. Ridiculous.
I love good food, like cooking, and wouldn't mind having some control over the healthiness of what I eat. More importantly, starting in August every other Friday my roommate and I will be responsible for making dinner for friends (the other Fridays, it's their turn.) I think it will be a nice way to relax and greet the weekend. However, as August approaches I'm feeling the pressure, because the regular dinner guests in question are two just lovely ladies who appear to be good at everything they attempt. Other potential diners included an accomplished baker, former caterer's assistant, and at least one known picky eater. STRESS. PRESSURE. I have had a few major cooking flops in my lifetime, and I'll be darned if they happen where other people have to endure them, then order pizza later when I'm not looking!
So, between pure desire to learn, health concerns, and the major motivation (not wanting to embarrass myself) I set out to purchase a good basic cookbook. Suggestions from others included the Joy of Cooking, a Betty Crocker volume, the Timelife series of cookbooks, and Julia Child's famousThe Way to Cook. I chose none of these to begin with, for various reasons (my parents have a copy, too fattening, I don't have a free bookshelf lying around my miniscule living space, and too intimidating, in that order.) My requirements for this book were simple. It had to:
- Be only one volume.
- Contain recipes for most kinds of food. So, for example: Martha Stewart's book on appetizers, while fascinating, would not be quite right.
- Rely heavily on quality ingredients and produce. Not one of those how-to-turn-six-canned-goods-into-a-casserole deals.
- Have reasonable recipes. Ones that don't require exotic ingredients, six hours of your day devoted to a single dish, weird appliances, etc. (Ahem. Julia.)
Image from Amazon.com
I'd heard good things about this one - loved his column in the New York Times - so I took a look. His intro emphasized that everyday cooking doesn't need to take forever, tastes better than takeout, and truly isn't rocket science. Yeah! I can learn to cook too! I felt encouraged. My initial impression is one of a volume with more fresh, appetizing recipes than I know what to do with, and very descriptive simple instructions. Oh, and reasonable cooking times. So if a recipe doesn't work out, at least the schedule damage will be minimal.
Time to get cooking!
1 comment:
Yes, we do have a copy of the Joy of Cooking, but have you ever seen either one of us make anything out of it? 'Nuff said.
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