People begin cooking for many different reasons. Some want to eat healthier, some want to take on a new skill, some are trying to spend less money at restaurants and eat at home, and some start cooking just because they really love food (that includes me). For whatever the reason you begin to cook, the idea is to set yourself up for success. Follow the few simple steps I outline below (with examples) so you too can make your debut in the kitchen fun, victorious and long term.
First, stock your pantry with basic and some specific goods. Basic items include canned tomatoes/beans (e.g. garbanzo, cannellini), garlic, and bread. Additionally, pasta, rice, potato’s, flour, sugar, salt, and pepper (not the pepper already ground – buy the whole peppercorn and a pepper mill – there is a world of difference in flavor) are base ingredients necessary for all types of cooking. Specific items include stocks (chicken/beef/vegetable), cherry tomatoes (stored at room temperature), shallots (similar to onions but sweeter and not as strong), dry herbs (e.g. oregano, thyme, and rosemary), olive oils and vinegars. Furthermore, spices (paprika or any you like to use in your style of cooking), polenta (i.e. cornmeal), risotto (i.e. Italian rice), nuts and dried fruits are dynamic ingredients that can take basic cooking to elevated levels of taste.
Second, stock your refrigerator and freezer with good fresh and frozen ingredients. In the refrigerator, it is important to always have fresh greens (e.g. romaine, iceberg, or spinach,), fresh herbs (e.g. parsley, basil), fresh vegetables (e.g. peppers, onions, celery, carrots, eggplant, zucchini, avocados or whatever is in season), and fresh fruit (e.g. strawberries, peaches or whatever is in season). Additionally, sun dried tomatoes and tomato paste are essential as well as fresh dairy (e.g. butter, milk, eggs, and cheese) and wine (good white or red to drink and cook with). Good cuts of meat (e.g. Pancetta or Prosciutto – cured Italian bacon), Pork loins/chops, Chicken, Beef, or whatever you plan on cooking that day or week are important as well. If you plan on cooking seafood, try purchasing it the day of cooking when it is freshest and will taste the best. Try to stay away from frozen seafood (unless flash frozen) as it loses flavor. In the freezer, stock up on items such as frozen peas (great for pasta/risotto), frozen puff pastry cases, and left over chicken/beef/vegetable stock (pour liquid into ice cube trays, freeze and place in bag – use 2-3 cubes when needed for soup or stews). Also great for the freezer are cheap cuts of meat (beef/pork ribs, pork loins, sausages, whole chickens, sirloins, skirt steaks, chuck roasts) and end pieces of Prosciutto/Salted Pork which can be picked up at the Deli department at Central Market (great for soups and stews for depth of flavor).
Third, try to make meals that do not require the use of different kitchenware. In other words, steer clear away from recipes that requires the use of different knives, different pots and pans, strainers, graters, and sheet pans. Try to start cooking a recipe that only requires one knife and one pot or just a few cooking tools. The likelihood that you will try to cook this meal again increases with the simplicity of the process.
Fourth, start cooking recipes that require only 4-8 ingredients and no more (not including oil/butter, salt/pepper). Many people start with a recipe that requires 20-30 ingredients which they never have and probably will never use again. You know who you are, the ones that still have that turmeric or almond oil rotting away in the kitchen pantry. Unfortunately when this occurs, people lose interest in cooking because the process is too long, difficult, and expensive. Therefore, try starting with the following simple recipes that include basic, specific, fresh, and frozen ingredients with out the use of unnecessary kitchenware:
Grilled Sausage & Vegetable Linguini
Ingredients:
- Italian Sausage – 4 links
- Linguini pasta or your favorite pasta – 1 package
- Frozen peas – 1 small bag
- Garlic – 4 cloves
- Sun dried tomatoes – 10 sliced into small pieces
- Parsley – ½ a bunch
- Parmesan cheese – to taste
- Salt/pepper/olive oil – to taste
Kitchen Tools:
- 1 knife to cut vegetables, 1 pot to cook the pasta, and 1 pan to cook the vegetables
Process:
- Grill the sausage until done (ask the man of the house to do this as all men love to grill)
- Sautee the garlic, sun dried tomatoes, and peas in olive oil and season with salt/pepper
- Boil pasta until al dente – to the tooth – basically until it is not gummy but not hard
- Toss pasta with the vegetable mixture, grated Parmesan and top with the grilled sausages
Carlos’ Summer Salad
Ingredients:
- Yellow beef steak and red cherry tomatoes – 1 yellow and 1 pack of cherry
- Avocado – 1
- Frisee greens – You could also use butter lettuce
- Balsamic vinegar
- Good olive oil
- Salt/pepper – to taste
Kitchen Tools:
- 1 knife to cut tomatoes, avocado and greens, and 1 jar to make the vinaigrette
Process:
- Add 1 part vinegar to 3 parts olive oil to a jar, seal tight, and shake until you see the dressing homogenize and become viscous
- Slice the yellow tomato into ½ inch rounds and the cherry tomatoes in half
- Slice the avocado into ½ inch pieces
- Place a bed of Frisee on a plate, 3 slices or yellow tomato, sprinkle the cherry tomatoes around it and top it with 3 or 4 slices of avocado
- Dress the salad with the balsamic dressing and season with fresh pepper and good salt
