July 16, 2010
Is your food boring, or are you just tired of cooking the same 3 recipes week after week? Are your take out menus starting to wear thin along the folds? Try cooking something you’ve never had before. Sounds simple enough, but what if you don’t like it? Try this. Go to a restaurant that has food you’ve never tried before. Not a chain restaurant, but something locally owned, small and hopefully ethnic. Argentinian, Indian, Italian, Thai, Greek, etc. If you’re not sure what to get ask your server for a recommendation. The point is try something new and different to break you out of your rut and inspire you. Now go home and cook something from that region of the world. You can use my cookbook to try some of my regional recipes or go online. There is no shortage of resources for you to research and find a recipe for exactly what you ate, or maybe possibly perhaps..something new. Something not boring.
January 05, 2010
This week I’m trying to remember things. Where I put my pants, why I’m in this old lady’s kitchen putting marmalade on my face, did I put the car in park before coming into the house…New Year’s was crazy! It’s the little things that can really mess up your day. Here’s another little thing to remember. TASTE YOUR FOOD BEFORE YOU SERVE IT! Sorry for yelling. That was my impression of Chef Ramsey, sans cursing and spitting. The easiest way to screw up your date night or your breakfast the next morning is to under or over season your food and not taste it before it gets to the table. More novice cooks and experienced chefs alike have screwed the pooch by missing that critical step. Don’t forget it. Now why is there a hole in the front of my house?
December 14, 2009
The next time you invite your girl over to watch a video try 2 things. First, and this will be the most challenging, let her pick the movie. Even if you have no interest in it ( chick flick) don’t…don’t heavy sigh through the whole film. Try to enjoy it.
Second, have a coffee table picnic ready when she gets there.
Picnic: Summer sausage, a variety of cheeses, sliced apples and pears, cherry tomatoes, grapes, spicy mustard and french bread.
This is a great way to enjoy finger foods with your movie that don’t resemble greasy potato chips and hot wings. Be different. Be better.
December 03, 2009
Some foods, even those listed as aphrodisiacs-there’s no easy way to say this-smell bad. Stink to high heaven. The bog of eternal stench comes to mind. They seep into your walls and linger in the air no matter how many candles you light or windows you open. Some of them we love, like bacon. Some, like cabbage and asparagus, aren’t universal favorites, but you might have to cook one of these stinkers eventually.
When you do, be proactive. Open the windows if you can, keep your vent hood on while you’re cooking and clean up immediately after you plate. At least get rid of the grease or wash the pot you cooked the odiferous food in before you sit down to eat. That way, it’s her fresh scent you’ll be inhaling all night, not boiled greens or salmon.
