NationStates Jolt Archive

I grew up under the assumption that women find a man being able to cook more than hot dogs and kraft dinner sexy. Though I have yet to try the cooking card on a girl, I have grown up knowing a bit more than the average person does in terms of cooking. But I'm always up for more - I've read cookbooks and those, and none of my friends cook, so my last resort is you guys. This is a haven away from politics, Muslims, and Drunk Commies Deleted.

Cooking Ideas would help, since I'm going to a place where I can live off fast food, but don't want to (it starts with a 'C' and ends with an 'ollege').

Any tips would be helpful, thanks.

Some of my best home-cooking was done in college. I cooked every dinner for my house of six room-mates (usually while studying for exams) and have a few handy tips that you may not get from the books.

For your own cooking that'll keep the flatmates from the fast food joints, you need to keep stocked on certain basics. Salt, pepper and all that for sure. But never underestimate the power of a bit of honey on anything from poultry to vegetables. I always keep clover honey in my pantry for any time.

If you have a date over, presentation is the key to a success. Every part of the meal is served on a separate plate. For instance, saffron rice in a small bowl, carmalized veggies on a tiny tray, glazed chicken on a plate and serve with a bottle of white wine to cleanse the palate. It looks nice and keeps the separate flavors from mingling into a brown mess.

I grew up under the assumption that women find a man being able to cook more than hot dogs and kraft dinner sexy. Though I have yet to try the cooking card on a girl, I have grown up knowing a bit more than the average person does in terms of cooking. But I'm always up for more - I've read cookbooks and those, and none of my friends cook, so my last resort is you guys. This is a haven away from politics, Muslims, and Drunk Commies Deleted.

Cooking Ideas would help, since I'm going to a place where I can live off fast food, but don't want to (it starts with a 'C' and ends with an 'ollege').

Any tips would be helpful, thanks.Depends, how good a cook are you?

I make do with a Toaster oven and a portable burner.

I have a friend who loves to cook. and since he's a fussy eater, I let him do the cooking when we were rooming together.

if you can, find the series of books by Campbell's. You know, the soup guys.

they have a series of cookbooks entitled
"a Man, A Can, And..."
the books I have is
A Plan,
A Grill
A Microwave

and it's all simple and cheap recipies (and some of them even has them using their products)

My first suggestion: Try all your recipes yourself before cooking them for someone else.

Watch Food TV. Tons of ideas, their web site also has recepies.

This is one of my favorite cook books (http://www.amazon.com/Prime-Time-Emeril-Americas-Favorite/dp/0060185368/sr=8-11/qid=1165971907/ref=pd_bbs_sr_11/002-9928062-3415228?ie=UTF8&s=books). Some of Emeril's cook books have recipes that take way too much prep, but this one has fairly simple recepies.

"Home-made" spaghetti sauce is about the cheapest, easiest thing you can learn to make, but it is a springboard for a lot of nicer dishes.

What you'll need = two large pots (one for sauce, one for boiling pasta), a colander to drain the pasta, a good sharp knife, a wooden spoon and a cutting board.

2 cloves of garlic
1 28 oz can of tomato (puree, diced, crushed -- your choice. I prefer puree myself.
about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste
oregano
3-5 leaves of fresh basil (to sweeten sauce if it's too acidic)
28 oz of water


Heat the olive oil in the bottom of your large sauce pot, and slice up the garlic. Toss it into the hot oil and sautee it until just golden. Stop it from cooking further by tossing in the tomato, then refill the tomato product can with water and toss that in.

Put in about a teaspoon of salt to start, your basil and about a half teaspoon of oregano. Stir it, and let it simmer. Cover and leave for half an hour. Taste. If it needs more salt, add some. If it's not sweet enough, add more basil (or a little white wine, or even a little anisette. Dear God, keep the sugar away from the pot!)

Let it simmer for at least an hour so all the flavors blend. Put over pasta that's been boiled for 10 minutes (if it's whole wheat, 13-15 minutes).

You can add meatballs (fry them first please) or sausages (again, fry them first) if you want to make it heartier.

To make chicken parmagiana, you get cutlets, dip them into egg and then seasoned breadcrumbs, fry them, put them into a pan, grate some mozzarella over them, and pour sauce over them.

With small adjustments, you can make lasagna, pizza, etc with this sauce.

I currently have several 1lb tins of Meatloaf frozen in my freezer. when i want to, I defrost one, then add the topping and bake.

Only cooking I can really do is open fire, though I can follow a cookbook. Which I now realize has veary little to do with the thread, huh I haven't had an ADD moment like that in a while.

Here's how to make perfect Basmati rice (the best kind):

-melt a tablespoon of butter/margarine/ghi in a small pot on the stove (use high heat).

-add one cup of Basmati rice, stirring vigorously until rice is saturated with melted butter/margarine/ghi.

-stir in one cup of water. Continue to stir mixture slowly, 'til water is boiling lightly.

-cover pot and immediately turn heat to low. Set timer for ten minutes.

-once timer goes off, turn heat off. Do not open pot. Re-set timer for ten minutes.

-when timer goes off for the second time, your perfect Basmati rice (good for two very generous servings) is ready.

my best advice for cooking is to add as much from your fridge as you can find to a frying pan and cook up, especially if you have something to make a sauce with. all the best meals i have made have been totally random creations involving whatever veg, liquid, meat/fish, carbs and spices/herbs/seasoning i have.

although it's always a good idea to give the stuff a sniff before you chp it up to make sure the flavours go together ok.

edit: oh, and never follow a recipe exactly: you know what flavours you like so go with what you have. you can make some awesome variations to the recipes you find in traditional cookbooks simply by following your own tastes. modern cookbooks are rubbish cuz they basically tell you what your tastes should be. a nice simple one that has room for variations is perfect if you need one.

Go ahead and check out my website (http://www.belly-timber.com/category/recipes/) for some interesting ideas. I try to make the recipes easy to follow, so let me know if you need help with them.

my best advice for cooking is to add as much from your fridge as you can find to a frying pan and cook up, especially if you have something to make a sauce with. all the best meals i have made have been totally random creations involving whatever veg, liquid, meat/fish, carbs and spices/herbs/seasoning i have.

although it's always a good idea to give the stuff a sniff before you chp it up to make sure the flavours go together ok.

edit: oh, and never follow a recipe exactly: you know what flavours you like so go with what you have. you can make some awesome variations to the recipes you find in traditional cookbooks simply by following your own tastes. modern cookbooks are rubbish cuz they basically tell you what your tastes should be. a nice simple one that has room for variations is perfect if you need one.I do that for Fried Rice. That is the Ultimate Leftover Recipie.

OH, and I do suggest following the Recipe exactly for the First Time. Then you know how it tastes and then you can start experimenting.

Go ahead and check out my website (http://www.belly-timber.com/category/recipes/) for some interesting ideas. I try to make the recipes easy to follow, so let me know if you need help with them.

Bookmarked. Can't wait to try some menudo. :)

Bookmarked. Can't wait to try some menudo. :)

Wasn't Menudo a NKOTB wannabe band?

Bookmarked. Can't wait to try some menudo. :)

That was one of my personal faves ;)

I do that for Fried Rice. That is the Ultimate Leftover Recipie.

OH, and I do suggest following the Recipe exactly for the First Time. Then you know how it tastes and then you can start experimenting.

yeh, that's probably sound advice, although i'm always too impatient for that. i want what i know i like NOW! :p

and fried rice is brilliant, but i rarely think of it. it's perfect if you have some eggs, a couple of those stirred into any fried rice combo makes the perfect slap-up meal.

Go ahead and check out my website (http://www.belly-timber.com/category/recipes/) for some interesting ideas. I try to make the recipes easy to follow, so let me know if you need help with them.

i'm totally intrigued. nice site :)

First things first, are you going to have a full kitchen?

Wasn't Menudo a NKOTB wannabe band?

LOL, no, more like the other way around.
Menudo has been around MUCH longer than New Kids on the Block. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menudo_%28band%29#History

That said, that's NOT the Menudo I was looking for.
*uses Jedi mind trick*

Go ahead and check out my website (http://www.belly-timber.com/category/recipes/) for some interesting ideas. I try to make the recipes easy to follow, so let me know if you need help with them.

:eek:

Wow.That is just about one of the most beautiful websites I've ever seen. Both food and photography look simply divine.


ETA: I can't get over the Swift-Tuttle Dark Chocolate Espresso Berry Comet Truffle. *dreamy, far-away voice of awe*

LOL, no, more like the other way around.
Menudo has been around MUCH longer than New Kids on the Block. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menudo_%28band%29#History

That said, that's NOT the Menudo I was looking for.
*uses Jedi mind trick*

*is fooled*
You can go about your business.

welp, here are the 2 most important tips for great cooking:

1) bacon improves every recipe that you can imagine putting bacon into from spaghetti sauce to mashed potatoes.

2) double the amount of vanilla called for in the recipe.

when impressing a woman with your cooking ability, you dont need to be a cordon bleu certified chef. you only need to have a few great recipes that you pull out for special occasions. work up 3 or 4 really tasty menus that you can cook when the need arises.

you only need 2 cookbooks (i use 3).

1)the joy of cooking is a must for every kitchen. it covers all the basics both techniques and recipes. there is a new edition out right now, ask for it for christmas.

2) "beat this" by ann hodgman ( http://www.amazon.com/Beat-This-Cookbook-Ann-Hodgman/dp/0395971772/sr=8-1/qid=1165983064/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-3829170-3856002?ie=UTF8&s=books ) what ms hodgman did was steal the 100ish best recipes from every cookbook she has ever tried. (she also has a follow-up called "beat that" that is also very good) they are killer recipes of everything from blueberry muffins--the extremely best i have ever tried, to cheese straws. if you want to have impressive recipes, this is the book for you.

my 3rd "go to" cookbook is the betty crocker cookbook. it folds open easier than joy of cooking and has most of the basic recipes i need like biscuits and pie dough. you dont need it i just have it for convenience.

If there's one thing my mother taught me, it's that A CROCKPOT IS YOUR BEST FRIEND. Chili, Corned Beef and Chicken 'n' Dumplings are a few favorites in my family.

The day before, just take a frozen chicken and place it in the pot, toss in a few sliced-and-diced vegetables (Carrots, onions, potatoes, celery, green peppers, just about any classic "soup" vegetables you can find, and perhaps more...) Then fill the pot with water until it's close to the brim, put in some salt and pepper, then put on the lid, set it to low and go to bed.

By the time you get home from work the next day (if you're on a 9-to-5 schedule) the chicken should be very tender. Take the chicken out and shred the meat off the bones, and before you put the pulled chicken back in the pot, make a few flour dumplings in the broth (If you kept the lid on, it should have stayed at about the same level). Now mix the chicken back in the pot, wait for it to warm up again, then let it sit for a few minutes before you serve, so it can thicken slightly.

Booyah. Dinner for four, almost no work involved.

I don't really cook a lot... my boyfriend does.

And yes, I find it incredibly, incredibly attractive. :)

What he always does is wanders around the grocery store with me, and we start at the basics, and work our way up. And he always adds a ton of spices. I don't know anything about spices, but he always seems to know which ones work. :p

But what I mean about basics is, we'll decide what kind of dish we want. Then we'll decide what meat we're using, if any. Then what veggies we want with it, and then what kind of sauce (if applicable), and what kind of spices, to finish it off. (We usually buy fresh cilantro/basil/whatever.) If it's a pasta dish (which it tends to be quite a bit of the time, because we both love pasta), then we start with what kind of sauce we want (tomato or cream). And amaaaaaaazing tomato sauce sauce starts with just olive oil and fresh Roma tomatoes, sliced. Then you can add other veggies, spices, meat, and simmer away until absolutely delicious.

And I bet I do a terrible job of explaining the cooking process, because like I said, I don't cook. I just watch, admire, and enjoy the results. And for whatever it's worth, my boy rarely follows a recipe - in fact, he usually ends up writing whatever he cooked down afterwards to save for future reference, since he makes it up as he goes. Pasta does seem like a really good place to start, since it's easy to work your way up, and throw basically anything together. Soup's good for that, too.

Edit: the recipe site looks amazing. And the fact that your quoted Shakespeare earns bonus points in my book. ;)

This ended up being a lot longer than I intended, but is worth the read.

Rule 1: do not ever give a girl something you have not made well at least 3 times.

Rule 2: make sure you know how to adapt – that means learn how your ingredients behave so you can do things on the fly. You never know when you have to make a last minute substitution.

Rule 3: presentation is of utmost importance; you eat with your eyes before your mouth.

Rule 4: make sure she does not have any food allergies.

Rule 5: make sure she does not have any food allergies. I know this is technically the same rule as number 4, but I thought it important enough to be mentioned twice. Trust me on this one (also kind of a problem when she suddenly reveals she is a vegetarian).

Rule 6: keep a well stocked pantry – you want to make sure you have enough of the basics that you can whip up something nice if a girl comes home with you unexpectedly. May not happen often, but you will forever be kicking yourself if you miss the opportunity to say “why don’t you just come back to my place and I’ll make something”.



Watch cooking shows – some of the best ones will give you off the cuff comments about how to pull things off. Ignore crap like Emeril – he is an entertainment show with a cooking theme, not a show that teaches you how to cook. Check out Alton Brown (I think that’s his name) on Food Network – he does a really good job teaching you the reasons behind what you need to do (I cannot emphasize enough the need to understand the hows and whys of your ingredients behavior) even if he is a bit corny at times.

It is far more important to know how and why your ingredients behave than being able to follow a recipe. Once you get the basics down, someone should be able to tell you the basic ingredients and you should be able to come up with something tasty. Or go out to a nice restaurant and see what she likes, then be able to imitate it at home simply by a quick taste and its appearance (though it might take 2 or 3 tries – see Rule #1).

Start right away – by this time next year you should be able to take some random ingredients and be able to make something any girl will swoon over.

As far as actual cooking advice goes… be patient and do not overdo it. Those are probably the two biggest downfalls I see. Good things take time so do not jump the gun on things (of course the opposite holds true as well – something overcooked is as bad as something undercooked). Do not just throw more spices in thinking that the more the better – think specifically about what you are adding. Sometimes simplicity is best.

When you don’t have an oven, invest in a toaster oven. It will serve you well. You can cook almost anything in a tinfoil pouch in a toaster oven, just one or two servings at a time.

Great tip – start cooking up some pasta but do not let it cook completely. Take it out of the water using tongs. Using the tongs actually lets it keep a lot of its liquid vs dumping it into the strainer – makes an appreciable difference that you should pay attention to every time you make pasta. It won’t absorb as much sauce but will give you the same flavor so it ends up being not as heavy and is healthier – plus I think it just behaves better if tonged rather than dumped into a colander.

Cook up something to go in the pasta (say some herbs, garlic, butter, maybe some white wine leftover from the night before, or a touch of lemon) in a pan, and then toss with the pasta. Put the pasta in single servings in tinfoil pouches. You can make up several portions of this pasta with sauce and it will store quite well for a couple days. When you want to use one, throw in a serving of fish (any light fish will do), re-close the pouch, and put it in the oven. It shouldn’t take long to cook and the pasta will finish cooking with the fish.

You will want to cook up as much as possible beforehand when you are having dinner guests (so you can pay more attention to them instead of to the food).

A favorite of mine is a simple meal that is very impressive.
Salad: toast some sliced almonds in a pan with a little butter and seasoned salt. Slice a red onion very very thinly and open a can of mandarin oranges (keep the juice). Toss all in with a bunch of fresh baby spinach. Take the mandarin orange juice and mix equally with mayo (add a teaspoon of celery seeds if you have any) for your dressing.

Another salad you might want, if you don’t go for the green leafy kind. Or rather if SHE doesn’t go for the green leafy kind (because who cares what you like, this is all about her). Thinly slice a couple tomatoes (main ingredient), cube some fresh mozzarella, chop some fresh cilantro, some very thinly sliced red onion, add some pine nuts if you like, a healthy dose of olive oil, and pour a good bit of balsamic vinegar over it. It is important to let it sit for an hour to properly marinate before serving (the vinegar cooks the onion a bit, which really helps the flavor of this dish, but some people disagree). Should have been enough liquid to leave a tablespoon or so in the serving dish afterwards.

Main course: Cook up a bed of pasta, I prefer some egg noodles for this simply for ease of eating but any kind will do (spaghetti can get messy and just is not worth the risk on a date). Throw some crushed garlic and minced onion in a pan for a bit, add a couple cups of white wine and reduce to make the sauce (a little goes a long way, you do not want any really strong flavors) then throw in some fresh herbs. That doesn’t sound quite right but close enough for going on 2 nights without sleep :) Play around with it until you find what works for your situation.

Take some frozen Dory (or some kind of fish in very thin fillets) and put it in a pan with a bunch of lemon juice on a very low heat. It will cook as it thaws. Keep an eye on it and flip it over just before you see the edges get cooked, shouldn’t take long on the second side. Cooks very quickly and will finish pretty well – the lemon juice will also kill any fishy smell and whatnot. Put fish over pasta.

Alternatively you could lightly coat the fish in a mixture of equal parts mayo and a nice dijon mustard, then roll in crushed pistachios, and bake.

Side dish of… say take some yellow and green squash, sliced quarter inch thick, slice an onion (sweet or red) into quarters, maybe some eggplant if you're into that, sprinkle with salt, drizzle with olive oil and put under a broiler (or two small portions at a time in a toaster oven).

Alternative side dish is take green beans in a frying pan with some butter, sliced almonds, and a little prosciutto. It is a little on the pricey side for a student, but just a little prosciutto goes a long way – one of those secret ingredients that stores well so keep it on hand and it will last a long time. It gives the beans a little something amazing.

Additionally, if you like fennel – it is a lot cheaper to get slice up some cabbage and cook it with a handful of fennel seeds. Tastes just like fennel but a fraction of the cost. This is one of those little things that you can pick up over the years to make gourmet meals on a thin budget. Poor man’s substitutions make a poor student seem impressive.

My last note will be anchovies – yes, I know most of you just recoiled in horror, but trust me on this one. If you are going to braise some chicken or something, or make any kind of tomato based sauce, start off with some olive oil in a pan, throw in some chopped garlic and a little filet of anchovy. The anchovy will pretty much dissolve in the oil and add something indescribable (in a good way) to any sauce – even those who hate anchovies like the addition a tiny bit makes. Just never ever tell anyone what that secret ingredient is or their anti-anchovy prejudice will come out (even though they loved it a moment before). Most people say they don’t like it but have never tried it – or if they have they ate one. Anything in a sufficiently concentrated form will be disgusting, but as an ingredient in a sauce it cannot be beat.

A little ingenuity and you can be the McGuyver of the kitchen. Just play around.
Think of it this way, playing around in the kitchen can be just as fun, more useful, and cheaper than a night out. Especially if you can ask some cute lass to help you try out some recipe. The two of you, laughing and joking in the kitchen, and of course you have to cook with some wine (though how much of it goes into the food is up to you). Cheap but very fun date (but see rule #1, just pretend you don’t have a clue how it is going to turn out).

I grew up under the assumption that women find a man being able to cook more than hot dogs and kraft dinner sexy. Though I have yet to try the cooking card on a girl, I have grown up knowing a bit more than the average person does in terms of cooking. But I'm always up for more - I've read cookbooks and those, and none of my friends cook, so my last resort is you guys. This is a haven away from politics, Muslims, and Drunk Commies Deleted.

Cooking Ideas would help, since I'm going to a place where I can live off fast food, but don't want to (it starts with a 'C' and ends with an 'ollege').

Any tips would be helpful, thanks.
It's true, guys that are willing to cook and are half-decent at it are awesome. I was woking alot a couple summers ago when my ex wasn't so he'd often make dinner. Coming home to a nice-smelling house and a great meal ready was pretty much the best present he could give me. And he usually got rewarded, too IIRC.

Anyhow. I dunno if this counts as cooking really, but today I made some chocolate treats:

Melt some really good quality chocolate over very low heat or in a water bath. Grate some lemon peel (you can use orange or any other flavoring you like too - but lemon is the best) finely and stir it into the melted chocolate. Toast various nuts (I used almonds, pecans, and hazelnuts) in a 350 degree over, or in a dry skillet until they start smelling good. Be careful because after that stage, they burn pretty quick. Now pour you melted chocolate onto a tray with parchment paper and spread it out a bit so it isn't too thick. Liberally coat with your toasted nuts and let it harden in the fridge.
Then you can break them into pieces and Yum!

2) double the amount of vanilla called for in the recipe.


Also, don't be cheap. Buy real vanilla, not the crappy imitation kind. Believe me, it's worth the price.

Read cookbooks and online recipe sites to get an idea of what herbs, spices, and other sorts of flavours mix well together. Then...experiment! That's how I learned to cook. My gf actually dislikes most of the stuff I pull out of cookbooks and the like, but through experimentation with flavours, I'm able to randomly come up with dishes that she loves -- and she's probably the pickiest eater I've ever met. The experimentation takes time, but it's well worth it. You'll end up with a lot of stuff that you dump in the rubbish (while at uni, I forced myself to eat a lot of failed experiments, so as not to waste food), but you'll also learn a lot about flavour, and obviously, that's the key to good cooking.

Marinades are your friend. Not only do they make lower quality cuts of beef considerably better, but they add tremendous flavor and juiciness to beef, chicken or pork. Whether you use premade, homemade or even certain salad dressings, marinades are tremendously easy to do and yield great results. Just remember when marinading: Time is your friend. Throw the meat in a bag with the marinade(5 minutes work) and put it in the fridge the day before. 24 hours marinading will make for remarkably tender, juicy and flavorful meats. Then cook it when you're ready. :)

Slow cookers are a similar work and money-saving device. The longer you cook your meats in a slow cooker, the more flavor it absorbs and the more tender it becomes. Just remember not to cook most vegetables more than two hours. Throw them in later. *nod*

Buy this (http://www.amazon.com/Betty-Crocker-Big-Red-Cookbook/dp/030709801X) cookbook.

In the first part it explains all the ingredients that you might need (with pictures) and all of the cooking terms used in common recipes.

It also has recipes for just about anything for any occasion

Watch Food Network, check their website. I love Alton's show and his recipes are almost always very simple and easy to prepare, he doesn't tend to get too wild with odd ingredients. Rachael Ray and Paula Dean are also good.

Watch Food Network, check their website. I love Alton's show and his recipes are almost always very simple and easy to prepare, he doesn't tend to get too wild with odd ingredients. Rachael Ray and Paula Dean are also good.

Alton's Good Eats is outstanding. It took me a while to get used to the in-your-face camera angles and such, but the info is excellent. The rest of the shows are pretty much...well, meh. The worst of the bunch, frankly, is Emeril. He's a great host, but his dishes? Ugh.

My best tip is to never ever under any circumstances stir-fry while naked.

My best tip is to never ever under any circumstances stir-fry while naked.

Oil splatter -- OUCH!

My best tip is to never ever under any circumstances stir-fry while naked.

This also applies to frying anything in a skillet or deep frying.

I'm so hungry. If one of you will move in and cook for me I promise to support you in the style you have been accustomed to. As long as it's abject poverty.

Also, don't be cheap. Buy real vanilla, not the crappy imitation kind. Believe me, it's worth the price.

oh YES. never buy imitation vanilla. if you cant manage the $4 to buy a small bottle, borrow it from a neighbor.

Buy this (http://www.amazon.com/Betty-Crocker-Big-Red-Cookbook/dp/030709801X) cookbook.

In the first part it explains all the ingredients that you might need (with pictures) and all of the cooking terms used in common recipes.

It also has recipes for just about anything for any occasion

its a great basic cookbook. get the ring bound version. its so much easier when the cookbook lies flat all by itself. and it gives you the possibilty of adding pages or notecards in relevant spots. ive had mine for 20+ years and i used it yesterday.

I'm so hungry. If one of you will move in and cook for me I promise to support you in the style you have been accustomed to. As long as it's abject poverty.

I can deal with abject poverty, so long as lots of nasty sexual activites are involved. :p

its a great basic cookbook. get the ring bound version. its so much easier when the cookbook lies flat all by itself. and it gives you the possibilty of adding pages or notecards in relevant spots. ive had mine for 20+ years and i used it yesterday.

Yes! All cookbooks should be ring bound.

You can't go wrong with onions. Or cheese for that matter.

Otherwise, just experiment a lot.

It helps if you know chemistry. Someone recommended "The Chemistry of Cooking" to me.

If it's beef, hit it hard, a lot. That's my contribution on how to make almost anything beef-based better.



Oh and I think Muslims are OK, DCD is also occasionally amusing and I'm going to vote Lib Dem. Urmm... Iraq.

Also filled the 'avoided' parts, heeheehee.

I can deal with abject poverty, so long as lots of nasty sexual activites are involved. :p
Agreed. I'll do anything for good food. We can do it all in the kitchen.

"Home-made" spaghetti sauce is about the cheapest, easiest thing you can learn to make, but it is a springboard for a lot of nicer dishes.

What you'll need = two large pots (one for sauce, one for boiling pasta), a colander to drain the pasta, a good sharp knife, a wooden spoon and a cutting board.

2 cloves of garlic
1 28 oz can of tomato (puree, diced, crushed -- your choice. I prefer puree myself.
about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste
oregano
3-5 leaves of fresh basil (to sweeten sauce if it's too acidic)
28 oz of water


Heat the olive oil in the bottom of your large sauce pot, and slice up the garlic. Toss it into the hot oil and sautee it until just golden. Stop it from cooking further by tossing in the tomato, then refill the tomato product can with water and toss that in.

Put in about a teaspoon of salt to start, your basil and about a half teaspoon of oregano. Stir it, and let it simmer. Cover and leave for half an hour. Taste. If it needs more salt, add some. If it's not sweet enough, add more basil (or a little white wine, or even a little anisette. Dear God, keep the sugar away from the pot!)

Let it simmer for at least an hour so all the flavors blend. Put over pasta that's been boiled for 10 minutes (if it's whole wheat, 13-15 minutes).

You can add meatballs (fry them first please) or sausages (again, fry them first) if you want to make it heartier.

To make chicken parmagiana, you get cutlets, dip them into egg and then seasoned breadcrumbs, fry them, put them into a pan, grate some mozzarella over them, and pour sauce over them.

With small adjustments, you can make lasagna, pizza, etc with this sauce.

Some people add sugar to their sauce-I recommend you never do this.

If you prefer it slightly sweetened, peel a large carrot,cut it in half and add it to simmering sauce. I also add several whole,peeled cloves of garlic to simmer as well (in addition to the ones I shave and carmelize in the olive oil, before I add tomato)

its a great basic cookbook. get the ring bound version. its so much easier when the cookbook lies flat all by itself. and it gives you the possibilty of adding pages or notecards in relevant spots. ive had mine for 20+ years and i used it yesterday.
The ring bound version rocks; my mom's had hers for over 20 years too. I'm also a fan of The Settlement Cookbook.

I think that people don't utilize rice nearly enough. There is such a variety. It is the perfect food in my opinion. Perfect to ladel stew on top of, easy to deal with the leftovers, it makes superb desserts and delicious treats like onigiri and sushi....delicious.

"Home-made" spaghetti sauce is about the cheapest, easiest thing you can learn to make, but it is a springboard for a lot of nicer dishes.

What you'll need = two large pots (one for sauce, one for boiling pasta), a colander to drain the pasta, a good sharp knife, a wooden spoon and a cutting board.

2 cloves of garlic
1 28 oz can of tomato (puree, diced, crushed -- your choice. I prefer puree myself.
about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste
oregano
3-5 leaves of fresh basil (to sweeten sauce if it's too acidic)
28 oz of water


Heat the olive oil in the bottom of your large sauce pot, and slice up the garlic. Toss it into the hot oil and sautee it until just golden. Stop it from cooking further by tossing in the tomato, then refill the tomato product can with water and toss that in.

Put in about a teaspoon of salt to start, your basil and about a half teaspoon of oregano. Stir it, and let it simmer. Cover and leave for half an hour. Taste. If it needs more salt, add some. If it's not sweet enough, add more basil (or a little white wine, or even a little anisette. Dear God, keep the sugar away from the pot!)

Let it simmer for at least an hour so all the flavors blend. Put over pasta that's been boiled for 10 minutes (if it's whole wheat, 13-15 minutes).

You can add meatballs (fry them first please) or sausages (again, fry them first) if you want to make it heartier.

To make chicken parmagiana, you get cutlets, dip them into egg and then seasoned breadcrumbs, fry them, put them into a pan, grate some mozzarella over them, and pour sauce over them.

With small adjustments, you can make lasagna, pizza, etc with this sauce.

Personally, I cook my sauce a bit differently.


I heat the olive oil in the pan and add a chopped onion and cook for a while and then add the garlic. When the onion starts to brown and stick to the bottom of the pan, degrlaze with some red wine. Add your basil and oregano, making sure to crush it up if it is dried. Then throw in the tomatoes and simmer for as long as possible.

This is basically the same as the original poster's sauce but I think this method delivers a superior sauce.
If you want to make a completely different sauce from leftovers of this, take some of this sauce and grate some peccorino romano cheese into it and cook it for awhile, then add some cream. This makes a lovely pink sauve ("vodka sauce" because a small amount of vodka is usually added"). Turn of the hat and let this mellow for awhile and then reheat before serving. It's excellent if you refrigerate it overnight, the flavors really mellow that way. It's nice with thick pastas like penne.

pan-seared salmon, ala Connor

Coat pan in olive oil, add gin or white wine or something that either has a mild flavor or is high in alcohol content. Add cracked pepper to the pan, heat until excruciatingly painful to the touch (ie no feeling in the finger tip for about 10-20 seconds. Ideally, anything more than a quick touch should result in a second-degree burn). Marinate salmon in lemon juice for about twenty minutes or something like that. Quickly put the salmon on the super heated pan. Ideally the heat will cauderize the flesh so that it becomes much more solid than the rest of the fish. Flip over after a couple of seconds (10-30, depending on heat) and allow to cauderize for similar amount of time. Goes well with grilled asparagus and Sauvignon Blanc.

Again, everything for me is experimental. I add ingredients based on impulse, and I'm rarely disappointed.

If you're going to have brains in any recipe, it's best to poach them in some bouillon first, then take them out, wrap them in a cheesecloth, and set a heavy plate on top of them and put the whole thing in the refrigerator to firm up before slicing.

If you're going to have brains in any recipe, it's best to poach them in some bouillon first, then take them out, wrap them in a cheesecloth, and set a heavy plate on top of them and put the whole thing in the refrigerator to firm up before slicing.

it might be a good tip, but i advice you to not serve brains on a date.

it might be a good tip, but i advice you to not serve brains on a date.

If they're deep fried in battered slices, she won't know what they are.

If they're deep fried in battered slices, she won't know what they are.

have you ever given anybody brains without their knowledge? :)

have you ever given anybody brains without their knowledge? :)
Yes. No one noticed.