If I can give any advice to any future novice chefs, the key is even flow. Keep calm. Relax. Worrying is wasting time. I swear, every meal I have ever cooked angry has manifested itself as some wretched mess. As a sidenote, I really suggest it to anyone who has a problem expressing their feelings: nothing says "I AM GOING TO MURDER SOMETHING" like a plate of burnt, grey goop.
Another good tip is knowing your tools and not being afraid of getting a little hurt here and there. I think that's what I see most people fuck up. They don't like to get dirty, cut or set on fire. Yet, the human brain STILL learns best from it's own mistakes. That and the general public never sees Rachael Ray stick her hand into a flaming grill. ( I don't understand why; the woman obviously does not have a central nervous system. ) Anything dangerous you happen to do will help you acquire a mental guide of DOs and DON'Ts. Grabbing a potato out of a boiling pot, can do. Pretending to be a fancy sushi chef with your freshly sharpened knives, don't.
I'm no Anthony Bourdain, but I'd like to claim my victories when they occur. That was more or less the point of this update from the beginning. Overcome with the laziness I inadvertantly get on a Sunday, I found myself hardpressed to make a delicious meal for myself. My body clock knows when it's the weekend and after working in retail, shuts down all mental processes until society resumes banker's hours. So, it's about 4 and I'm hungry. Well, shit. PB&J, I guess. It's usually what I eat because I can't be bothered with wasting time on cooking. Except cooking is never wasting time. Shit, how many of us have sat our asses down to watch a cooking show after making ramen? Cooking is NEVER wasting time. In fact, it doesn't even have to take that long either. And I'm not talking about that 30 minute meal bullshit. Every one who recommends one to me is handing over a recipe for mac & cheese from the box. Fuck that.
I started the grill and thusly, the clock. Our grill takes about 4 minutes to warm up. There's a lot you can do in four minutes.
I just happened to
- chop a tomato
- chop two shallots
- oil a piece of salmon and season it
- wrap the choppees in foil after sprinkling some mozzarella over it
Wham. All that goes on the grill for 14 minutes. ( Flip the salmon halfway through. ) Had I done any of this in a premeditated manner, I probably would've invited a friend for dinner and made rice pilaf as a bed for the blackened salmon. Well, if I'm inviting a friend, I would've opened a bottle of ros too. Either way, it was a good meal and reminded me that there's always something better to do than sitting on my ass. Cheers.
Another good tip is knowing your tools and not being afraid of getting a little hurt here and there. I think that's what I see most people fuck up. They don't like to get dirty, cut or set on fire. Yet, the human brain STILL learns best from it's own mistakes. That and the general public never sees Rachael Ray stick her hand into a flaming grill. ( I don't understand why; the woman obviously does not have a central nervous system. ) Anything dangerous you happen to do will help you acquire a mental guide of DOs and DON'Ts. Grabbing a potato out of a boiling pot, can do. Pretending to be a fancy sushi chef with your freshly sharpened knives, don't.
I'm no Anthony Bourdain, but I'd like to claim my victories when they occur. That was more or less the point of this update from the beginning. Overcome with the laziness I inadvertantly get on a Sunday, I found myself hardpressed to make a delicious meal for myself. My body clock knows when it's the weekend and after working in retail, shuts down all mental processes until society resumes banker's hours. So, it's about 4 and I'm hungry. Well, shit. PB&J, I guess. It's usually what I eat because I can't be bothered with wasting time on cooking. Except cooking is never wasting time. Shit, how many of us have sat our asses down to watch a cooking show after making ramen? Cooking is NEVER wasting time. In fact, it doesn't even have to take that long either. And I'm not talking about that 30 minute meal bullshit. Every one who recommends one to me is handing over a recipe for mac & cheese from the box. Fuck that.
I started the grill and thusly, the clock. Our grill takes about 4 minutes to warm up. There's a lot you can do in four minutes.
I just happened to
- chop a tomato
- chop two shallots
- oil a piece of salmon and season it
- wrap the choppees in foil after sprinkling some mozzarella over it
Wham. All that goes on the grill for 14 minutes. ( Flip the salmon halfway through. ) Had I done any of this in a premeditated manner, I probably would've invited a friend for dinner and made rice pilaf as a bed for the blackened salmon. Well, if I'm inviting a friend, I would've opened a bottle of ros too. Either way, it was a good meal and reminded me that there's always something better to do than sitting on my ass. Cheers.