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Mar-12-2007 00:11

So, if I have to eat one more grilled chicken breast, one more bowl of spaghetti with jarred marinara sauce, one more taco with the crispy shell-that-came-out-of-a-box, I'm going to impale myself on a spork.

So here's my idea: everyone has to eat, right? And I'll bet almost everyone out there in Sleuthville has a favorite. A sure-fire, go-to, I-have-the-ingredients-in-my-house-at-all-times winner of a meal. I say, let's share. Cuz I think my family will kill me if I serve them chili again, uh, ever.

Simple, complex, fancy, casual - bring it on.

I'll start...

Aug-12-2007 19:14

Future cook thats me

Aug-13-2007 02:02

I went three years to a chef school and did pick up a couple of things. But when I'm at home I prefer improvising. I know a lot about handling the food stuffs and preparation and lemme tell ya food will always taste much better if you take great care with the preparations and handling the raw material.

Also cooking good food is an art. Any fool can make beef fillet taste good. Just fry it in some proper butter and voila. But to take whatever's at hand (perhaps you have a limited budget) and make a tasty meal out of that it's what the art's about.

Also you don't become a fully fledged chef by going to school. You need practical experience, so get some cook books and start cooking. Old cook books that don't assume you get all the ingredients half pre-fab and instead go into detail in how you gut the fish and rinse and clean and cut and so on are great. After a while you learn how long this should bake and how you handle this and that, and so on and that's when you become good at cooking.

Assuming you already are well versed with the inns and outs of cooking one of my favourite recipies is proper Provencal bouilabaisse , with clams, some kind of white fish, shrimps, bayleaves and lots of saffron. Go to Provence to pick up someone's granny's old recipie. ;)

Finally, if you have or can get your hands on a gas stove those are the best. I have one at home and I will defend it with my life. Electical stoves just don't cut it.

Good luck in the kitchen and never turn your back on milk on a stove.

Aug-13-2007 12:08

I'm with you on the electrical stoves. Hate them. HATE them. I'd show you how much I hate them, but I can't get the font any bigger. But UGH. Loath, even.

Aug-13-2007 23:07

Reenact the printer scene from Office Space with an electrical cooker. Tape it and send to me. ;)

Aug-14-2007 06:46

I've had Chicken Tortilla Soup b4 and its yummy!

I dont know if its the same or not but my mom makes Mexican Chili, and its great. It has chicken in it, corn,beans, and other stuff.....then as topping, we crumble our tortilla chips in the soup,along with sour cream and green onion to top it off, and its deeeelicous!! I will have to post the recipe when I get the chance to! Mexican Cornbread goes wonderful with it too :)

Aug-14-2007 14:20

:)

Aug-16-2007 02:20

I also recommend making a marinade from lemon juice, whisky and honey. Use it on white fish (cod or whiting for example) or salmon/trout on the barbecue. Remember that it's pretty much useless to let fish (or meat, but I don't recommend meat with this marinade) soak in the marinade beforehand. Instead glaze the fish while it's on the barbecue several times (many layers that get burnt into the fish). Also for nice chequered patterns on the fish half way through the cooking time simply lift it and turn it about 90 degrees around. Also fish don't need to be flipped over to be completely cooked through, unless the fillet is really really thick (like an inch or more) if you use lower heat. Serve with some fresh salad of your choice (make it a simple salad though since you don't want to take the focus away from the fish). Bon apetit.

Aug-16-2007 02:22

And turn the fish horizontally of course. It doesn't work well to put it on edge. ;P

Aug-16-2007 21:58

Armitage Shanks :
" Good luck in the kitchen and never turn your back on milk on a stove. "


My grandmother said that Mayonaise can kill you on a hot day. Even now I never leave the knife in the jar and turn my back on it when I make a sandwich. :)

Aug-16-2007 23:04

You, sir, made me laugh.