(no subject)
Aug. 28th, 2006 11:07 amI am trying today to come up with simple, cheap, good recipes for recent college graduates. This is something I should be able to do, but as I do it, I realize how very idiosyncratic my own cooking is.
While I sometimes tackle a specific recipe, in general, I don't bother. I also don't measure much of anything. My cooking is heavily dependant on quantities like "enough." "Enough baby spinach for however many people you're serving." "Enough garlic" (generally a lot). "Enough apples to fill the casserole dish about 3/4 full" (size of casserole dish unspecified). "Enough stir fry ingredients for expected dinner participants + 50% leftover allowance."
After that, there are non-specific terms like "done." Meat of any kind is done when it reaches a safe temperature (I use a thermometer because it's preferable to slicing perfectly good bits of meat open so that they dry out). Onions are done when they're translucent and soft. Vegetables are done when they're sliced into easily edible pieces, or failing that, when they're warm through, but still crisp. Rice and pasta are done when they reach a texture I like. Fruit is done when it's ripe.
( For example )
While I sometimes tackle a specific recipe, in general, I don't bother. I also don't measure much of anything. My cooking is heavily dependant on quantities like "enough." "Enough baby spinach for however many people you're serving." "Enough garlic" (generally a lot). "Enough apples to fill the casserole dish about 3/4 full" (size of casserole dish unspecified). "Enough stir fry ingredients for expected dinner participants + 50% leftover allowance."
After that, there are non-specific terms like "done." Meat of any kind is done when it reaches a safe temperature (I use a thermometer because it's preferable to slicing perfectly good bits of meat open so that they dry out). Onions are done when they're translucent and soft. Vegetables are done when they're sliced into easily edible pieces, or failing that, when they're warm through, but still crisp. Rice and pasta are done when they reach a texture I like. Fruit is done when it's ripe.
( For example )