tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9046185673819980880.post6574933725115515701..comments2023-11-05T03:13:13.383-05:00Comments on I'll Bite: More habits of happy cooks: Readers' editionUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9046185673819980880.post-59441372746087434202013-04-03T21:10:20.467-04:002013-04-03T21:10:20.467-04:00A simple piece of wisdom I have always carried wit...A simple piece of wisdom I have always carried with me: My mother always told me to never apologize for cooking something - even if it is a disaster! If I mess up cooking, I cook out of love and tend not to apologize for that!Christinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11473092978943483914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9046185673819980880.post-76752951902544402592013-04-03T14:09:16.094-04:002013-04-03T14:09:16.094-04:00Don't cook when you're rushed. If you'...Don't cook when you're rushed. If you're a new cook and want to enjoy it, you have to give yourself time. Cook on the weekends and fall back on leftovers or Stouffers during the week. <br /><br />Cook for others. Not your mother-in-law of the legendary Thanksgiving buffet, but for good friends who will laugh with you if the top layer of lasagna has to be peeled off and tossed out.<br /><br />Find a mentor--a relative or friend who enjoys cooking, and who will stand at your elbow while you roll out pie dough.<br /><br />Don't set the bar too high. You may never grow to enjoy the experience of cooking (like I never enjoyed knitting), so don't force yourself to learn how to make chicken à la king when chicken noodle casserole will suffice. Homemade is more important than gourmet.Alisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09081652747471904560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9046185673819980880.post-53968686058029980432013-04-03T12:49:07.461-04:002013-04-03T12:49:07.461-04:00I don’t really make meal plans; I tend to think ab...I don’t really make meal plans; I tend to think about what kind of food I’m in the mood for and start thinking about what I want to cook around lunch time. I have a whole folder of links to food sites and recipes that I use for inspiration. And the best way to accommodate flexibility is to have a well-stocked pantry, fridge, freezer with all the basics. But well-stocked doesn’t have to mean one of every type of sauce from the grocery store. I try to simplify what I need to have on hand. One of the latest tricks I learned, from watching a past Good Eats show, is that instead of keeping a shelf full of all kinds of canned tomato products, all you really need to buy are whole peeled tomatoes. I think the whole tomatoes retain better flavor, and you can get the consistency you want by cutting them up into chunks, letting them cook to mush from whole, or using a hand blender in the pot to get the final consistency you want, from chunky to puree.Clem's Sonnoreply@blogger.com