-
Re: The ability to cook is empowering
I enjoy cooking, but I feel totally inferior next to extremists like my mom and my old boss who take "cooking" to the next level. I have all of the time in the world and I still have absolutely no desire to make my own bread, cheez, kimchee or pho stock.
-
Re: The ability to cook is empowering
Quote:
Originally Posted by
MyButter
I enjoy cooking, but I feel totally inferior next to extremists like my mom and my old boss who take "cooking" to the next level. I have all of the time in the world and I still have absolutely no desire to make my own bread, cheez, kimchee or pho stock.
I don't blame you! I like to think I fall somewhere in the middle, like a lot of diehards, as a cooking extremist. I've only made my own bread on special occasions and would probably never make my own cheese, except maybe once to see if I could. Nor will I dress and butcher my own game, or case my own sausages unless I learned a family recipe. Even though I like to get down to the bare bones ingredients as often as I can, I'm not gonna do something much more time consuming than canning, and I'll only do that in big batches so I won't have to do it again for ages.
-
Re: The ability to cook is empowering
Um, I guess all basic survival skills are "empowering." Knowing how to read is empowering. Knowing how to get around town is empowering.
I learned to cook as a teenage vegan who got most of her produce from dumpsters. (I finally qualified for food stamps when I turned 18, but I mostly spent them on cigarettes and dog food.) I know all the basic techniques, keep my kitchen well-stocked, and can always come up with a few good meal ideas given any random handful of ingredients that need to be used up.
That said, I'm very proud of my ability to NOT cook. I can afford to live in a neighborhood with several vegan-friendly restaurants, and I can afford to eat out whenever I feel like it. I can afford to stock my freezer with prefab Amy's stuff. When I cook, it's because I want to eat something I can't buy.
-
Re: The ability to cook is empowering
Quote:
Originally Posted by
azaleanola
I learned to cook as a teenage vegan who got most of her produce from dumpsters. (I finally qualified for food stamps when I turned 18, but I mostly spent them on cigarettes and dog food.)
You are punk rock!
I agree that cooking skills are empowering. For too many years I used my stripper income and living in a big city to justify never ever cooking. The only things I would keep in my kitchen were eggs avocados and jerky. I moved to the suburbs a few months ago and finally had to learn to cook because I couldn't rely on takeout anymore. It really is empowering and it's saving me a ton of money, literally probably a couple hundred per week.
-
Re: The ability to cook is empowering
I start cook at the age of 11 because I wanted to learn adult skills :) However, I just learned how to cook my first paella :) Cooking is awesome :)
-
Re: The ability to cook is empowering
1. I totally read the title wrong.
2. I thought the green cooking was a marijuana (think brownies) reference.
Now that that's out of the way, OMG I LOVE COOKING. I love grocery shopping. I love cleaning the kitchen. I make almost everything from scratch. I'm a goddamn naked Martha Stewart.
-
Re: The ability to cook is empowering
I'm planning on giving my (21 year old) son and my oldest (16 year old daughter who lives with her dad) a copy of my recipe book this year along with their other Christmas presents. My grandmother raised me, and I wish I had some of her recipes. I hope my kids will appreciate having some of mine.
I am a great cook. It's because I am a very picky eater, and it was mostly because I couldn't find what I liked at a lot of restaurants. I cook to show my love, and also because I can cook better than most of the restaurants we go to. :)
I think we do spend more than those who don't "cook" on groceries. But it is worth it to us. I work from home, so I have plenty of time to plan and make some great meals.
-
Re: The ability to cook is empowering
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Red Velvette
I'm planning on giving my (21 year old) son and my oldest (16 year old daughter who lives with her dad) a copy of my recipe book this year along with their other Christmas presents. My grandmother raised me, and I wish I had some of her recipes. I hope my kids will appreciate having some of mine.
I LOVE this idea!!!
It's genius.
Back in the day, a good cookbook was a precious thing... now with the 24-hour cooking networks, the plethora of cooking magazines, the blogs, the sites, the apps, the brand-sanctioned recipes printed on the packages of products... it's overwhelming. Everyone has their two cents on the matter. I mean, just think about how many varriations of roasting a friggin' turkey you've heard in the last 30 days.
Nothing tastes quite as good as a recipe that has lived in a family for generations. It's like a thread of love that transcends place and time. A book all about love and good memories that hearken back to the past and connect your loved ones to you as they look towards their future. I'm sure your kids will cherish your recipes... and put their own spin on them as time goes by.
I think you may have started a family tradition.
Brava!
-
Re: The ability to cook is empowering
I can cook, but have always hated it. I'm lazy! Plain and simple.
Like azaleanola, I used to subsist on quality cheap/free meals, or easily put together/healthy convenience food for a long time. Then I moved to my first apartment where a microwave wasn't included.
I didn't ask for a microwave as a homewarming gift, assuming I'd cook from scratch more. I just ordered 'healthy' delivery 80% of the time for a year. Lost $ and health!
Finally found a place with a microwave in my new city after a couple years. Healthy freezer/convenience food (like the salads mentioned) can save you a lot of time and $. And $ in the long run on medical bills, unless microwaves are conspiracy theory level bad.
<3 precooked 'high end' microwave meals and easy salads! It doesn't need to be a hobby to be empowering.
-
Re: The ability to cook is empowering
Quote:
copy of my recipe book this year along with their other Christmas presents. My grandmother raised me, and I wish I had some of her recipes.
I actually have the family 'recipe book' going all the way back to my great-great grandmother. New 'recipes' were added by each generation, including me.
Now my big problem is waiting for my son to 'settle down' and produce a grand-daughter whom I can teach ... and hand the book down to.
Quote:
I thought the green cooking was a marijuana (think brownies) reference
ummm, no ... but ... some of the ingredients for those early recipes in my family 'recipe book' are now illegal !!!
-
Re: The ability to cook is empowering
-
Re: The ability to cook is empowering
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Melonie
but ... some of the ingredients for those early recipes in my family 'recipe book' are now illegal !!!
I can't help wondering what some of these ingredients are!
-
Re: The ability to cook is empowering
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Naida
I can't help wondering what some of these ingredients are!
I'm guessing raw milk, absinthe, shark fins, etc.
Slideshow below:
http://www.delish.com/food-fun/banned-food#slide-1
-
Re: The ability to cook is empowering
I've always found rare, restricted, and prohibited foods to be interesting. I'm a very adventurous eater, and these "forbidden fruits" are the ultimate in new and unusual. It disappoints me that some of them are specifically restricted and prohibited because of over harvesting, rather than perceived danger or narrow-minded bias. I'd like to try things like Beluga caviar (I love roe!), shark fin, or redfish, but I couldn't simply because of the ethical reasons.
-
Re: The ability to cook is empowering
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Naida
I've always found rare, restricted, and prohibited foods to be interesting. I'm a very adventurous eater, and these "forbidden fruits" are the ultimate in new and unusual. It disappoints me that some of them are specifically restricted and prohibited because of over harvesting, rather than perceived danger or narrow-minded bias. I'd like to try things like Beluga caviar (I love roe!), shark fin, or redfish, but I couldn't simply because of the ethical reasons.
I had the chance to eat Beluga Caviar when I was much younger... That being said, I can't, in good faith, eat it again until someone (anyone!) figures out a sensible way to farm the stuff! Those fish outlived the dinosaurs... and I will be damned if I contribute to their irreversible demise to satisfy my snacking habits. Those glorious bastards have lived for 200 million years... I'd be so crushed if they were wiped out.
:(
P.S. Shark fin doesn't taste like anything... it's the prestige/luck concept that keeps that market going. Shark fin is empty superstition in a bowl of flavored broth.
-
Re: The ability to cook is empowering
Empowering? Who needs power? Power corrupts. All you chefs are corrupt dictators, insisting that I not put sauce on my food because "it already has seasoning." I'll eat my steak the way I want! Having someone cook for you is comforting.
-
Re: The ability to cook is empowering
While I agree it's an important skill.....cooking is not that hard! I mean cooking everything from scratch maybe. But I'm surprised kids are not taught how to cook, growing up with a single mother I was cooking by 11 years old. Also....I'm surprised how many college educated people can't cook. If you can read a complex college textbook...you can certainly read a cookbook. Like the other poster said these are just basic survival skills. It also saves soo much money.
-
Re: The ability to cook is empowering
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Naida
I hate, hate, HATE nonstick pans for their lack of versatility. I'd rather spend a little more time scrubbing a pan I can do two or three things, or even the whole meal, in than clean two or three single purpose pans. That's what makes me love cast iron and other oven safe pans. I can sear something on the stove top, then stick it directly into the oven to roast without dirtying another pan.
As Sophia pointed out: DISHWASHER! It is your best friend, and another reason I hate nonstick. You're not supposed to put any nonstick pans that aren't specifically labeled as dishwasher-safe in the dishwasher.
I have 3 nonstick pans and a nonstick Wok and all can go in the dishwasher. I love them because they have handles that can be turned in so they hardly take up any space. I have one pan that isn't a non-stick and I barely ever use it, I hate using tons of oils on food and find I have to with pans that aren't non stick, I'm just continually having to add olive or sunflower oil. I know both are good for you, but, calories.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Aurora14
Years ago, I was just never home. Always on the go, always eating out.
After having my daughter, it was kind of a 50/50. I wasn't home a lot (working a reg 40hr/wk and dancing 3 nights) so frozen meals dominated my 'home cooked' list.
After having my son, we decided we were tired of being fat. I started buying healthier foods and making real meals, but we still got Domino's every Sunday.
Now we have moved to a tiny village and I'm pretty much a stay at home mom. There are small markets about 5 minutes away, but we do big shopping trips twice a month 40 minutes away. There is only 1 local pizza place that is open like 6 hours a day, 5 days, and expensive. I actually get sick when eating certain fast food. It is just easier to spend a day cooking and have leftovers.
I have started cooking more for a variety of reasons that just happen to align as I age. I think it is growing size of my family and lack of eat out options are what really drive it though. I was taught how to cook real, fresh, Italian meals while growing up. I'm constantly looking for new recipies online. Always asking people at gatherings for their recipies. Don't get me wrong, I'm not the greatest cook in the world. I literally burned pasta noodles the other night, but I had a slow cooked/seasoned tomato sauce (4 Hours) that made it worth taking 10 minutes to make a new batch of noddles.
My grocery bill has actually gone up though. It is weird. I did the math once, and we actually spent less eating out all the time. That may change as our kids get older though. It would be cheaper and quicker for me to get the 1lb bag of chicken nuggets (and I do for my lazy days) but fresh chicken nuggets taste better and aren't full of crap. I've trained my daughter to eat healthy, so she goes through tons of salad foods as snacks. It is fine in the summer when we grow and pick our own produce, but in the winter, we spend hundreds on peppers, tomatoes, and carrots. At this point my husband and I don't care though. We are trying to raise our kids to eat mostly healthy and be self sufficient. Something that most people our age (especially in our county) have no interest in. And while we have the money to afford it, we are going to do it.
I have to agree, my grocery bill is INSANE. I make up the menu for the week on Sunday and we go to the grocery store twice to make sure everything is fresh (plus British fridges? they are freaking small) and spend about $150 each time. Granted there's two of us, and my bf refuses to go anywhere but the most expensive grocery store here (probably equivalent to Whole Foods) and buy organic and free range and whatnot, but it seems about equal to what I was spending on take out and whatnot before.
The biggest difference I've noticed is my skin looks AMAZING from eating everything cooked from scratch. The only time I ever eat out is to go to a nice restaurant so it's healthy. I never was even into eating like, burgers and fries, but my skin was so horribly breaking out before and since I started cooking every night I haven't even had a small pimple. The only downside is now I can't stand take-out. My bf and I ordered take out a few weeks ago and I couldn't even eat it, it was Greek food and the falafels had been fried in grease which I hate, and I just ended up making my own tzatziki sauce since it would be fresher. It's made me so fucking picky.
And I fucking love online recipes. I love websites like allrecipes.com where people can leave reviews because I know the chance of me making something horrible is pretty low if it has like, 100+ 5 star reviews.
-
Re: The ability to cook is empowering
Quote:
Originally Posted by
audrey_k
I have to agree, my grocery bill is INSANE.
Groceries are friggin' ridiculous. A bunch of parsley that should be $1.00 is now $2.99, meat prices went up, fruit prices went up... everything around here costs 50% more, at least. Kale... don't even get me started on kale... a GIANT bunch, one size fits all, would cost less than $2.00... and you couldn't even fit it in a tote bag because it was so huge and unruly... now a mere handful is priced PER POUND! And it costs more than the boatloads of kale that I used to buy just a few years ago...
-
Re: The ability to cook is empowering
^yep! It's crazy. I much prefer fresh herbs to dried herbs in a spice bottle, but it's $2 for a one-use pack of parley (enough for one meal of about 4-6 people, so I can usually spread to two) and $4.50 for a handful that will last for about 4 meals. And a bottle of dried herbs is like, £2. I spent £15 on 4 burgers today to cook this weekend.
-
Re: The ability to cook is empowering
We have been buying fresh eggs and raw milk from some friends that have a small farm near us. The 14 year old daughter has 2 cows that are really pets, and she produces about twenty gallons of whole milk per day. She bought a cream seperator and miking machine with her own money, adn gets $5 per gallon for the milk and $5 per quart for the cream.
The kid has some $10K in her bank account right now. She also pays for all the feed and vet bills herself. A 14 year old independant dairy farmer...ya gotta love home-schooling.
I make scratch butter from the cream and yogurt from the milk.
-
Re: The ability to cook is empowering
Quote:
Originally Posted by
audrey_k
I have 3 nonstick pans and a nonstick Wok and all can go in the dishwasher. I love them because they have handles that can be turned in so they hardly take up any space. I have one pan that isn't a non-stick and I barely ever use it, I hate using tons of oils on food and find I have to with pans that aren't non stick, I'm just continually having to add olive or sunflower oil. I know both are good for you, but, calories.
I think I mentioned it in the same post you quoted, but cast iron. If cast iron were a deity, I'd worship it. If it's taken care of properly, it's naturally nonstick.
The talk about price keeps coming up in all threads that discuss food. Have you guys considered some of the alternatives to typical grocery shopping? AeroGarden doesn't take up much space. Fresh herbs, right there in the kitchen, for waaaaay cheaper than what it costs at the market. Or stagger the growing by a day for perfectly ready salad greens. Or get the "grow your own" kit and get some damn kale seeds!
Also try looking for farmer's markets or, better yet, farmers! Better food that's usually at least comparable to in-store prices, if not cheaper. And if you're dealing with farmers themselves, you can some times barter and get it for basically free with trade or a few minutes of your time.
-
Re: The ability to cook is empowering
^I have used cast iron pans before, but for me nonstick is better than a cast iron because it's not as heavy and I don't have to worry about seasoning the pan. I think once I have transferred something directly from the oven to the pan so that's not really a bonus for me. And like I said, all my nonsticks fold nicely into the dishwasher, so that's not an issue for me.
And if you think cast iron is as non-stick as Teflon... well, you've never cookes with Teflon.
I do like the idea of growing herbs in the kitchen, I've always wanted to have a vegetable garden and grow my own produce, but we don't have a backyard, and unfortunately no car to go to local farmers.
-
Re: The ability to cook is empowering
^^^ agreed that there's no substitute for having your own vegetable and herb garden. Besides knowing exactly how all of your vegetables and herbs were grown, you also have the option of choosing the specific varieties you want to grow. Back in New York, I actually had a small greenhouse, but down here 'way south of the border' I don't need one. Also, having your own vegetable garden - where everything winds up being ready for picking at the same time - encourages canning and pickling.
I'm also 'in love with' cast iron cookware. I have everything from a Dutch oven to frying pans to a cauldron in cast iron ... much of it also handed down for generations. I will admit that a nano-ceramic coated pan set I recently received as a gift has no equal in terms of non-stick properties and easy cleanup. But it doesn't offer the temperature uniformity of cast iron.
-
Re: The ability to cook is empowering
I can make only a few things. But the few things I can make are damned tasty. So here are my two gateway recipes, that got me started:
Beer Cheese Dip
- 2 8-oz packages of cream cheese
- 1 package ranch dressing mix
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 green onions, chopped, tops only (save yourself 20 minutes of running around the produce section like I did - these are called "scallions")
- 1/3 - 1/2 cup beer
Directions
Put all of that stuff into a bowl. Mix that stuff until it has a consistency that makes you want to eat it. Put in fridge overnight. Done.
Personally, I find the consistency too thick and cream-cheesy. I modify the recipe to use a full bottle of beer and I double the cheddar cheese.
Mac & Cheese
- 1 stick butter
- eight ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 16 ounces cottage cheese
- 2 cups raw noodles
- 2 cups boiling water
Directions
Add noodles to boiling water, cottage cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, butter, and mix together. Bake at 350 for 1 hour uncovered (I prefer covered, but some people like the burned crunchy top. Leave uncovered for burned crunchy top).
The cottage cheese makes it really creamy while also cheesier than recipes that use cream.