The Preview: a Recipe a Day

It's a cloudy Sunday morning here in Wilmington, the sun is trying it's hardest to come out. Which would be nice since we've had almost three days of rain & my little plant babies could use a bit of sunshine.

I probably could too.

Let's talk about food, especially cooking.

When I moved out at 18 there were a few very jarring things that I had to adjust to. Pertaining to this blog post; it's true, there is food at home. How annoying.

I remember being younger & my father saying those same things to me "No, there are leftovers at home." thinking about how unfair life was.

Along with realizing that there is indeed food at home, is that it's not as fun cooking when you... like have to cook. Like, you want to eat tonight right? Okay, then cook. This is also when you realize why your parents were so annoyed & mad at you when you didn't put the meat in the fridge to thaw out.

Now, when I first started cooking out of necessity, I discovered a few tips & tricks that took the mountain of cooking & made it into something much more manageable. Before I decide on posting modified & self-created recipes, I thought it would be fun to share these tips & tricks for anyone else that might need them (unknowingly).

Firstly, let me mentioned that I had prior cooking skills before moving out. My father's side of the family is sicilian (spicy Italians) & my mothers side is a mix of french & germans, so neither side is afraid of the kitchen or to eat. Didn't help my eating disorder though! (That's a joke to be explained at another time.)

Thankfully, b/c of the two sides of my family, I was exposed to cooking at a young age. When I post the first recipe, I'll share one of my favorite photos of myself in the kitchen (I think I was, like, 2?)

Secondly, while in high school I completed the Culinary Cluster. If you are unfamiliar with what that means, allow me to explain; the high school I went to had "clusters" of classes, such as Culinary, Spanish, Nursing, ect. This was mainly with elective classes but there were a few academic ones, such as History, that you could take as well & complete the cluster. Anyways, to complete a cluster you must take every class that is offered regarding that specific subject. I did so with Culinary as well as taught a Nutrient class & did Advanced studies in Culinary.

(If we want to get technical, I did this same thing with two other clusters but let's now get side tracked.)

So, prior to moving out, I knew pretty much all the basics, a weird amount of "classical" cooking, as well as dining etiquette. Now, I am aware that the majority of 18 year olds are not this fortunate or prepared if/when they move out & that most do not move out at 18. We, for this purpose, are going to ignore that most people don't move out at 18 & were not able to take culinary-based courses in high school.

Also, before beginning, let's state the elephant in the room, okay? Eating out is expensive &, the majority of the time, unhealthy. This is your freebie tip. Yes, there is food at home so go home & eat it.

That being said: let's begin!

There should always be at least *3* set meals that you keep in your apartment/condo/home/whatever at all times. Mine was: Spaghetti, rice, & salad.

Okay, quick Side Note: When I first moved out at 18, I was briefly a vegetarian. Not b/c meat is expensive & I was trying to save money (I did do this later on though) but b/c I watched the most awful video regarding the care of animals on meat-specific farms. However, I will adjust that for the purpose of this blog post.

Continuing... so these were my three go-to meals that I always had in the fridge & what I built my cooking skills upon. How?

Great question!

Spaghetti is pasta, a sauce, maybe some bread, & meat (if you so desire). Preparing pasta & do so correctly, is a feat that, once accomplished, changes the pasta game. My Nanny Jeanette always said that the pasta water must be as salty as the sea & the noodles should be tasted by your mouth, timers are cheating. Mind you, every Italian grandma says this but not all of them are Nanny Jeanette.

Tip One: Always, always, always salt your pasta water

Pasta & sauce is an extremely interchangeable dish. Disregarding the limitless Italian themed pasta dishes, there is mac-&-cheese, casseroles, stroganoff, etc. These all have the same thing in common: they are pasta with a sauce & maybe meat (if you so desire).

There are several different types of sauces to make. Due to there being 700 pasta sauce options in store, let's branch off that & discuss not so common sauces that you'd like to make that might seem a little too big to swallow. Cream/broth bases sauces are simple once you learn the roux (pronounced Rue). Roux is a fancy word for butter & a liquid whisked together over heat to create a thickened base for a sauce or soup.

Let's stay simple for the purpose of this blog post:

Tip Two: When creating a roux always begin with two tablespoons of butter, allow to melt, then add one tablespoon of flour, WHISK, then add one of three liquids (milk, broth, or water). Once combined then you add the seasons.

Spagheti is a buildable dinner (or lunch) that can be modified as much as you'd like, a great leftover (ever tried baking it w/ some ricotta cheese mixed in & a sprinkle of mozzarella on top?), & a cheap meal.

Rice. Now, rice is similar to pasta as in it is buildable & needs a hefty dash of salt in it's water when preparing. For the purpose of this blog post we are only going to discuss your basic white rice that is sold in every store. That being said, if you're a pro at cooking white rice try your hand at Brown or Jasmine rice, they are both game changers but require a bit more attention & flavor altering.

Tip Three: Always, always, always salt your rice water as well as rinse your rice.

There is an unlimited amount of protein & vegetables that you can add to rice w/out needing to think or look too hard. Chicken, beef, fish, pork, eggs, even plant based protein. Rice is a vital part to the kitchen simply b/c everything goes with it or can be added to it.

Want a decent mexican rice in three ingredients? Rice, chicken broth (instead of water), & salsa. Don't forget the salt, of course.

In the mood for asian? White rice in a pan w/ butter (instead of oil) soy sauce &, if you're feeling spicy, crack an egg in there too. Easy fried rice, add whatever protein you'd like.

Here is a crazy one that you might or might not be ready for yet... wanting something sweet? Cook your rice (yes, we are keeping that salt), switch the water for milk, & add your choice of fruit. A creamy rice pudding. Personally, I add cinnamon, nutmeg, & strawberries.

Tip Four: The water in rice can be substituted for a number of things, always keep a broth &/or milk/cream of sorts to exchange for it depending on the desired meal

Salad, it's okay if you rolled your eyes when you read that. However, due to being a vegetarian &, honestly, just loving vegetables, I love a good salad.

My basic salad, at that time, included: Lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, croutons, cheese, & a dressing. Normally, ranch or a vinegar & oil mix. Oh! & don't forget a little salt & pepper.

Now, salads are not as buildable as the other two meals that I listed but are still a good go-to when you're tired or it unbearably hot & nothing sounds good to eat b/c it's so hot. There are some fun ways to dress up your salad (that is almost a joke, b/c salad dressing, ya get it?)

Sautee some chicken with peppers & onions to throw on top of some crunchy lettuce, plump tomatoes, & garlic-y croutons.

Boil some eggs, dice them & throw them on top of a salad for a quick & low-maintenance protein boost. Though, this can be a bit stinky.

Change it up a bit by adding apples or strawberries or pomegranate seeds to your salad & switching your normal cheese for feta... you'll feel fancy as hell & it's twice as refreshing. Definitely make sure to use a berry vinaigrette though.

However you take your salad, another great thing about it is that it can be stored & served at another time. Want to start taking your lunch to work? Salad is a good starting point for that. Headed out for a gym session or some yard work? Go ahead & throw a salad together & marinate some chicken or whatever protein, for later as a quick meal.

Tip Five: Do not store your salad with dressing on it, it weighs down the lettuce & causes the salad to become soggy.

Once you have your *3* meals picked out, there are several spices to keep in stock at home at all times:

Salt & Pepper (obviously)

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Paprika

Cinnamon (yes, it's considered a spice)

Parsley

& Basil or Oregano (your choice between these two)

These spices are used in almost all dishes, cultures, & are easy to cook with. They can create a great marinade, season any protein, add flavor to any soup, etc.

Tip: As aesthetic as it is to have your spices on the counter where you can impress your guests with your amazing taste pallet, keep them away from the sun. &, if they clump, simply give them a good bang against the counter & they're good as golden!

There are also some *others* that should be included in this list, that are technically not spices:

Soy Sauce

Whorshisheire Sauce

A hot sauce (Sriracha is a good beginner hot sauce)

Honey

Broth (Vegetable is versatile)

Dijon Mustard

Vinaigrette Dressing (Avoid berry ones if looking for versatility)

Olive Oil

& Mayo

Honestly, these have the same versatility as the list of spices above.

These two lists, whenever I or a friend moves, are always added to the first shopping list after moving in. & are always checked prior to every grocery trip, gotta keep them in stock! They are also pretty inexpensive items that go a long way & last more than a few meals.

Next is not food related, sorry: There are a few kitchen must-haves for cooking. I don't mean the obvious ones like forks, knives, ect. but kitchen equipment. Equipment that you should have to best prepare your meals:

Two pans of two different sizes

A wooden spoon

A spatula

Two pots of two different sizes

A strainer

Tongs

A baking sheet (One that can fit items of numerous sizes)

A rubber spatula

A can opener (okay, maybe this one is obvious but!)

& Measuring cups

These are all necessities when it comes to the kitchen & anything that you may need to accomplish there. I'm sure that you may have your own list of items that I have forgotten like a whisk, well you can whisk successfully with a fork. Don't get me started on a hand mixer, put your wrist to work with that good ol' wooden spoon! It's a free work out. A juicer? Firstly, answer this: why do you even need one of those to begin with? It takes four lemons to make a decent lemonade & lemons are normally $0.69 each, meaning that off-brand lemonade is cheaper & less of a hassle to make. & no, you do not need a core-er or a frother or a meat tenderizer like your grandma is telling you you do.

Tip: Trust me on this, okay?

Last thing, & this might be a bit much for some, but: Grow it yourself!

Okay, I know how that sounds & how enormous that feels as you're reading, I've been there & I've read those articles too. However, they are onto something. From the time a seed is planted to the time it is ready to harvest is roughly 90 days, which is roughly 3 months. (Yes, there are other harvestables that take longer than this, but for the purpose of this blog post, let's ignore them).

Living in my first place, I had a garden in my backyard. I lived in a townhouse, if that helps you picture it. In that garden there was peppers, sunflowers, watermelon, tomatoes, green beans, & others that I can't remember.

Here is the cool thing about gardens... the vegetables & fruits that you buy at the store come w/ free seeds to regrow those items that you just ate! What is at the center of peppers & oranges & apples &... let me stop, you know what the answer is already. SEEDS!

Seeds, when you harvest them from the -whatever- should be gently washed & laid out to dry in the sun (unlike your spices) for at least three days. Now, there are two ways to sprout a seed.

The first is, & you might have done this in your elementary science class (I did): Put seeds in a paper towel, place that paper towel in a ziplock back, & tape it to a window. Make sure to spray the said paper towel/seeds with water every other day, in a few days the little seeds with sprout & be ready to stretch out in some soil.

The second way, the way that I plant my seeds now, throw them into some soil! OKAY, well, don't bury them more than about a inch or inch & a half deep, water heavily when they're first planted, & make sure to water them often depending on how much sunlight & whether or not they are outside.

Tip: If you plan on planting you seedlings in a pot make sure that you water & mix the potted soil prior to planting your seedling. The soil should be damp, not saturated, & yes, it does make a difference.

Harvesting & eating something that you grew on your own? Best feeling ever.

& no, I'm not just saying this b/c I don't think people should rely on the governments GMO foods or the overworked lands the farmers manipulate or the chickens that are feed so much soy that it's appearing in our system when we eat them or being self-sufficient is incredible important w/ the way that our world is...hold on, I forgot what I was talking about...

OH! It's the best feeling ever b/c YOU did that! You grew that tomato in your pasta sauce or the jalapeño in your taco or the strawberry in you rice pudding. & isn't that so cool??

Anyways, those are a few of my tips & tricks that I thought would be fun & useful to share w/ you, dear reader. Some tips & tricks that made living on my own a bit easier & less expensive. I hope this was helpful for you, I've got a few more to share once yous guys have conquered theses ones, just like spaghetti, these tips & tricks are buildable! Maybe, I'll even share a few of the non-food based ones too, eventually.

Did you like the photo above? It's of the cook books that I have on my fridge! As well as a glimpse of my plants, the few Halloween decors that are year-long, & some of my craft essentials. Sometimes I keep cereal up there too but I don't have any right now.

Quick Question: Have you guys ever made a peanut butter sandwich &, instead of jelly, put cinnamon toast crunch cereal on it? Hear me out, it's good.

I feel like this post is long enough for today &, believe it or not, it took me around 2 hours to write. (Not counting that I stopped to make coffee & swept the floor real quick).

Good luck cooking & try to have some fun w/ it!

Until next time,

Haunted Lore