Hey, friends! So as a post-graduate, I realized that despite several years of classes, exams, parties, and good times, I do not possess the skills to cook! Yep, after 2.5 years of living in an apartment, the most extravagant meal I can make is pasta with tomato sauce. One day I woke up and realized this was a severe flaw in my character, and decided to do something about it.
Life as a post-grad means more time to sleep and do things you have been meaning to do for 4 (in my case, 4.5) years but haven't gotten to it. I have looked into taking cooking classes, but these are quite costly and don't yield leftovers that can be reheated for lunch. Therefore, in order to gain cooking skills, I have taken it upon myself to cook at least one new dish per week. Each post will include a rough recipe with sources, a picture or two, and any lessons I learned along the way. As many of us are in the same boat with this sort of cooking exploration, I will also have guest bloggers post about their latest cooking adventures. Connell Heady, resident pescatarian expert, has already volunteered to be one. If you would like to be a guest blogger, let me know!
For those of you that are new cooks like me, here are a few tips I have learned off the bat:
1.) Cooking is 40% about taking risks, 40% about being patient with yourself and your oven, and 20% about willing to waste time and money to learn a lesson. This is why cooking skills are not often gained until one mans up and sets aside a chunk of time and money to take on some cooking adventures. Stop making excuses, start cooking. Excuses are for the weak and for those that rely on their fast metabolisms to prevent weight gain despite all the carbs he/she eating. That being said, it is often comforting to indulge in ramen or mac (mac & cheese will often be referred to as "mac" in this blog) after a rough day. But don't you want to end your day on a high note and heat up that delicious souffle you busted your ass to make earlier that week? You are indeed what you eat.
2.) A well-stocked kitchen results in a happy cook. A well-stocked kitchen can be well-stocked from 4th of July weekend sales at Stop & Shop. Carpe diem the hell out of those sales as they cycle in and out, and shop frequently. As a low-budget cook, preservatives are your best friends. Your right-hand man is the freezer.
3.) Recipes are like the weather or the media. You're not going to get 100% reliable information from one source. When cooking a common recipe, work from 3-4 sources, and pick and choose what appears to be the most reliable source, or mix and match.
4.) I'm pretty sure I'm saving money by eating out less. No promises, but I may try to monitor my expenses in the future to see how my finances benefit from this new cooking journey.
As life often gets in the way of things, there will be some weeks I will not have a chance to post in this blog. My apologies in advance. I'm hoping that when my work schedule picks up in the fall I will still be able to continue this most excellent adventure!
Questions? Comments? Concerns? You know how to contact me. Happy cooking! :)
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