i have pasta with cheese on it
why does everyone here cook such nice things (or at least say they do?)
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 19:43, 4 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

Nah
I had potatoes, rice, onion and chickpeas all mangled up together.
( Roota zweeeeeoooooowm, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 19:45, Reply)

It's a bit of a LOLMental thing, in my case, well, partly.
1) When I cook something special, it's my little way of telling myself that I'm worth the effort, that I deserve something 'good' (for lack of a better word)
2) Cooking is what 'normal' people do, my life has no structure and I'm well aware that I don't have a 'normal' life (at least, currently), when that is what I want, the ups and downs that go with it.
3) It allows for me to be creative away from any sort of computer, I'm fascinated by food, I would love to cook for a living, but not as a chef in a resturant, as I couldn't stand the hours or pressure, I don't think. I know, donno 'till I try, but to get anywhere in that buisness, you have to give it quite a bit more than a try.
4) I love the conversations that grow from me telling people recipies, it's something most people enjoy, and when I post about food, it's my little stand up to the world to say "Hay, look, I did something good".

I do enjoy eating it, but that is a very very minor part of it, I probably only eat about 1/3 of what I actually cook.
( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 20:01, Reply)

good reasons there
though I can see why you wouldn't want to cook professionally. I reckon most chefs are bastards. Maybe a job in a tiny little pub that did food and was willing to experiment a bit
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 20:02, Reply)

They're really really tough, I can imagine.
On a medium-to-high level, when a chef cooks, it's like an artest with a menu of different paintings, having to do 100s, day in, day out, and it's all opinion based, when it comes to the customer. Ovbously this doesn't count for your average fast food joint, but it does in a lot of places. When they're not working, they're sleeping, it's not uncommon for them to do over 15 hours a day, day in, day out.

I think if I was to get some sort of job in cooking, and I'm dreaming a bit here, it would be in cooking on TV or writing my own cook books. Something where there is loads of veriation.

But you know what, I might ask one of the local cafes, if I can put a couple of things on their menu, as a 'specials' type thing, where I'd pick two or three things each day, or maybe only once or twice a week, and see how it goes. I would have to get my figures all straight first though.
( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 20:08, Reply)

I made the mistake of suffering from anxiety and stress
and taking on the role of a head chef in a busy pub.
Basically I am an idiot.
( Sir Sand GOBLIN ^popular page dis, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 20:20, Reply)

Aye, lesson learnt though, aye?

( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 21:10, Reply)

Yer I reckon!

( Sir Sand GOBLIN ^popular page dis, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 21:22, Reply)

I have neither the talent or
the patience for cooking. Oddly, I do for eating
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 20:12, Reply)

Start off simple and expand from there, it's amazing what you can do with a normal-stocked-cupboard and 5 or soo ingrediants.
I know that [show with the red/green team and Ainsley Harriot] cheat a bit, and always come up with stuff that nobody will have in their average cupboard, but you can get some good ideas from that. For example, one of my favorite regular meals I make just as Pasta, Garlic, Sundried Tomartoes, a drop of oil and crab-sticks (or prawns, doesn't matter if cooked or not). 5 things, takes as long as it takes to boil up some pasta, and is better than anything you can get in a microwave packet.
( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 20:17, Reply)

I'd like to be able to do that
but everything I make comes out wrong, so I stick to the simplest things
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 20:25, Reply)

I just get bored
and can't be bothered to make something just for me. If someone else is there, I don't want to in case I poison them

I once made fishfinger sweet and sour
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 20:29, Reply)

I did a Christmas dinner once
not exactly cutting-edge cuisine however
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 20:31, Reply)

That's where the sharing online with what I make comes in, it's sad and pathetic, but it works for me.

( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 20:43, Reply)

OK
I think I'm going to do my shopping in the next 15 minutes - what shall I buy in order to make a tasty meal for myself tomorrow?
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 20:35, Reply)

Shit, sorry, I dashed off.
Try these: blog.90nz0.com/tags/food/

Pick a type of fish or meat, then a country, and build from there. That pasta I mentioned above is a cheap'n'easy lush one.
( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 20:39, Reply)

does the garlic need something done to it, like frying or something?
also: prawns from a shop, do they need cooking?
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 20:43, Reply)

Seporate 2-3 big bulbs of garlic from the head.
1) Boil a kettle, in the mean time....
2) Get a knife, and on the flat side of it (eg, held horizontally), place that on top of the bulb and apply pressure, this'll help you remove the 'skin'. Chop it up fine. Best way to do this is to do a 'cross chop', where you slice it roughly and then put your hand over the top of the knife and rock it back'n'forth until you get a rough dice.
3) Slice the sun dried tomarto into 3 or soo.
4) Kettle's boiled, pour in saucepan, add a sprinking of salt and oil, get it boiling again, when it's simmering, add the pasta.
5) Fry up some oil on a medium heat, add the sundried tomartos, let them chrisp up a bit, but not black, takes about 3 minutes, stir them every minute or so soo the other side gets done.
6) Add the garlic, a bit more oil if you need it (can use the oil from the sundried tomarto jar if you want, don't want a lot of oil, but remember it's supposed to coat the pasta). When the garlic starts browning (not black, black is burnt and bitter, brown is nice and sweet).
7) If the prawns are cooked (they'll be pink), add them now, they only need heating up, not cooking. If the prawns aren't cook (translucent/gray), fry them 'till they're pink on the outside and split one in half to make sure it's not translucent, if one's done, the rest will be.
8) Pasta should be done, drain the pasta and add to the sauce pan.
9) Mix it all up and serve.

Tip Top Tip: When it comes to pasta, fill your serving bowl between 1/2 and 2/3, the pasta will be the right quantity for your dish =)

I sometimes prefer using crab sticks cut into 3 instead of prawns, but both work.
( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 20:54, Reply)

thank you!
will report back tomorrow

thanks to you I just bought the most middle class basket of food, ever. had to buy Asda own brand fish fingers to make up for it
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 22:03, Reply)

cos its tasty

( Sir Sand GOBLIN ^popular page dis, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 20:10, Reply)

I just started cooking a couple of weeks ago
Before that I was Captain Readymeal. But now I quite enjoy it - there's loads of recipes on the internet and it's not nearly as complicated as you think.
( The Light in Chains don't touch the Pope's boner, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 22:14, Reply)