Last week I wrote the main article for the CSA newsletter.
My topic: cooking 101
Required length: 1000-1200 words
I wasn't really sure what this meant or what they were looking for exactly. I was told to 'take the fear out of cooking'. I didn't know there was fear in cooking. Aside from having a chef looking over your shoulder or the possibility of having food sent back from the dining room, I really forgot that some people are intimidated by the kitchen.
Thinking back, I suppose there was a time when I too, was scared of the cooking. But I've spent so much time since then in the kitchen and around other 'kitchen folk' that I wasn't really sure how to identify those fears again.
My plan of action: just start typing
Final word count: 1141
I ended up addressing one of my pet-peeves; recipe following to the 't'.
So, without further ado, here is my article.
Cooking 101
In a world saturated with dozens of celebrity chefs and a baker's dozen more “Ultimate Iron Chef Throwdown” cooking shows producing gourmet dishes in a neat thirty minutes, it's no wonder people are apprehensive about stepping in the kitchen. With words like mise en place, chiffonade and aubergine cooking can seem like an intimidating task to tackle. I'm here to tell you, it's not! A little secret: those celebrity chefs have entire staffs to prepare and produce their shows and the intimidating words are just fancy French terms for very down to earth ideas.
For example, mise en place (pronounced meez-ahn-plahs) is a phrase which means 'everything in it's place'. It refers to gathering all the necessary equipment and ingredients required for your culinary endeavor. Pretty simple idea, right? A simple idea with big benefits! Preparing your mise in place is one of the biggest favors you can do for yourself in the kitchen. It allows you the ability to just cook without having to stop to search for and measure ingredients. Isn't it awful when you are half way through your mom's best banana bread recipe and realize you don't have any eggs? By gathering all your mise en place before beginning you will avoid these frustrating situations.
But, in the kitchen as in life, things happen. What if you do find your self in an egg-less emergency? Or, what if you find a recipe that you can not wait to try, but it calls for an out of season ingredient? I try to look at recipes as guidelines for a general starting point. I don't want to feel restricted to a certain, set in stone list of ingredients. If the recipe calls for shallots, and I have scallions, I use the scallions instead! If perhaps, a recipe calls for almonds but I think I would prefer walnuts, use them! If you can identify what each ingredient's role is in the dish, you can easily make omissions, additions or substitutions. For example, in the case of the banana bread, the eggs add moisture and structure to the batter. But, no need to run to the store to buy eggs. Just use some apple sauce or an extra banana with a dash more baking powder. Viola!
Another quick-fix tip to reducing frustration in the kitchen is to read the entire recipe before you begin cooking. Reading the recipe ahead of time makes you aware of the time required to prep, marinate, rest, preheat and cook. By familiarizing yourself with the steps, you gain an idea of the goal you are trying to achieve. Much like reading all the turns and merges of driving directions from Google Maps before you set out helps you to have a general understanding of the route you are traveling! However, on occasion finding those road blocks and detours allows us to discover new places, and new foods, we otherwise would not have.
The last piece of advice I have for you to help create an enjoyable experience in the kitchen is to take notes on all your recipes and to organize your favorites. Jot down any adjustments, substitutions, results and suggestions for next time. Write down if you and your family liked it or not. Write directly in the book, keep a food journal or make a copy and compile a binder of all your best. This will make your life so much easier when you need to revisit a particular recipe. Not to mention it would make for the beginning of a priceless family heirloom!
Now that you can comfortably approach a recipe, where exactly do you find them?
Personally, I am a huge fan of Jamie Oliver. He has many cookbooks, but two of my favorites are Jamie at Home and Cook With Jamie. His approach to cooking is seasonal, local and no-fuss; three of my favorite qualities!
I also like to refer to food blogs for ideas. There are hundreds of people who are in the trenches with you, attempting the same healthful food on busy schedules. Foodgawker.com is a searchable network of user-submitted blogs, recipes, photos and tips! But be weary, this is where the aforementioned 'rules of recipes' come in handy. With so many users submitting, you have to weed through the posts and read through the recipes before choosing one. Also, in addition to the searchable recipe archive on the Harmony Valley website, our blog is linked to other CSA members food blogs who are working with the very same ingredients as you!
If a good, old fashioned, monthly publication is more your thing, conveniently delivered to your mail box; Cooks Illustrated is my absolute favorite food magazine. What it lacks in colorful pictures and artful photographs, it makes up for in advertisement free, page to page content. It is full of useful tips, recipes and ingredient and equipment comparisons. However, sometimes I simply can't resist those flashy photographs, I also subscribe to Bon Apetit magazine. I love getting new ideas and trends literally dropped right on my doorstep every month!
If you are looking to take the recipe training wheels off and try riding without, Ratio by Michael Ruhlman and The Flavor Bible are great books to use as reference. Ratio outlines standard kitchen 'recipes' in ratio form. Ratios are much easier to remember than specific recipes and are more easily tailored to your tastes! The Flavor Bible is an index of hundreds of ingredients and their most popular flavor affinities and ideas from professional chefs. I find that this book coaxes the creativity right out of me! A definite must have in your culinary library.
Lastly, don't forget about your little ol'chefs living right here on Harmony Valley Farm! We are just a quick phone call or email away! We would love to hear your questions and answer them the best we can!
The important thing to remember is that cooking is supposed to be fun! The key to great food, is great ingredients. Luckily, you receive an entire box full of the finest produce as a platform to start from. As my high school band teacher used to recite to us, 'Good stuff in, good stuff out. Bad stuff in, bad stuff out'. When you start with good, quality ingredients, the results are bound to be an elevated product. (There must be a fancy French term for this). Half the battle is already won! And remember, if a dish doesn't turn out perfect, don't beat your self up about it. When a recipe doesn't turn out the way I wanted, I remind myself that now I know what not to do for next time. Cooking is a perpetual learning process. You will have some failures, and you will have success. But fingers crossed for much success! Now get in that kitchen and whip up something delicious!
I was super excited to wear my new pants to work today.
