Great advice. :) Van life has meant that basically all of our recipes are riffed, one or two pot wonders. It feels good to "use the larder" and mitigate waste. Leftovers are usually used for lunch the next day, combined with rice or some other whole grain. And I'm proud that we haven't embraced too many "convenience foods" as a result (exceptions being the garlic and herb flatbread from the co-op which has become a major guilty pleasure, and a reasonably good substitute for a homemade pizza base!).
Great advice, Fiona. One famous US TV cook let slip during the worst of COVID that you really don't need to angst over buying the pricier ingredients in her recipes, especially if it's not the center of the dish: Sour cream instead of creme fraiche, ordinary salt instead of fine sea salt, etc. For a long time, it's been really striking to me when I return to the UK how many Brits claim they "can't" cook, and live on horrific "ready meals". Good grief, people, it's not calculus! YouTube is at your service! Alas, I suspect that as British food has grown more sophisticated, it's also become more daunting to the home cook. Thanks for helping address that!
Love this! I used to cook recipes exactly as they were written and often went to great lengths to find some of the more obscure ingredients. As I became a more confident cook over the years, I use the books more as inspiration and a rough guide and use whatever I’ve got in the cupboard/fridge. I think you become a better cook that way, rather than following recipes to the letter.
Sage advice! We’ve been needing to save money recently and have had to wean ourselves off the pick a recipe and buy everything listed. Instead we’re using our book collection as a guide for whatever comes in the veg box or appears in the garden (figs right now). Leftovers are also a common feature and I think I often love them more than the original dish.
Great advice. :) Van life has meant that basically all of our recipes are riffed, one or two pot wonders. It feels good to "use the larder" and mitigate waste. Leftovers are usually used for lunch the next day, combined with rice or some other whole grain. And I'm proud that we haven't embraced too many "convenience foods" as a result (exceptions being the garlic and herb flatbread from the co-op which has become a major guilty pleasure, and a reasonably good substitute for a homemade pizza base!).
Great advice, Fiona. One famous US TV cook let slip during the worst of COVID that you really don't need to angst over buying the pricier ingredients in her recipes, especially if it's not the center of the dish: Sour cream instead of creme fraiche, ordinary salt instead of fine sea salt, etc. For a long time, it's been really striking to me when I return to the UK how many Brits claim they "can't" cook, and live on horrific "ready meals". Good grief, people, it's not calculus! YouTube is at your service! Alas, I suspect that as British food has grown more sophisticated, it's also become more daunting to the home cook. Thanks for helping address that!
Love this! I used to cook recipes exactly as they were written and often went to great lengths to find some of the more obscure ingredients. As I became a more confident cook over the years, I use the books more as inspiration and a rough guide and use whatever I’ve got in the cupboard/fridge. I think you become a better cook that way, rather than following recipes to the letter.
Here's to not rushing out for a pinch of Aleppo pepper when chilli-flakes will do!
Barny made me throw away my Parmesan rind 😔
Mind you it was a bit fossilised...
Oh, me too! And once you stop buying every ingredient a writer lists you wonder why you ever did!
Sage advice! We’ve been needing to save money recently and have had to wean ourselves off the pick a recipe and buy everything listed. Instead we’re using our book collection as a guide for whatever comes in the veg box or appears in the garden (figs right now). Leftovers are also a common feature and I think I often love them more than the original dish.