Re: Trying to make my meals more interesting
In Response To: Re: Trying to make my meals more interesting ()

The chicken and chorizo bake looks lovely, although I will have to wait until summer is over to try it because we are trying not to use the oven any more than is necessary.

I actually can't remember how I learned to cook, except that I do remember that the first thing I learned to cook was desserts (surprise, surprise) and I don't remember who taught me. It's something I really enjoy when I have time to do it right. I enjoy looking at cookbooks and imagining how the food tastes, and coming up with combinations of foods to put together, although a lot of my cooking does not involve recipes. Even when I was a child, I remember we had some sort of food bingo game from Unicef and I used to pretend that each card with different foods on it was the food from an imaginary country, and imagine what the national favorite dishes would be based on those ingredients. Yes, I was a strange child with a very active imagination. But I don't think I actually learned to cook until I was a teenager or pre-teen.
Allison

: this did set me off being thoughtful
: yesterday.

: I used to love cooking. I learnt at
: grandma's knee - when everyone
: baked their own bread and we'd go
: off every day to the little shops
: - all individual, no supermarkets
: in those days. So I knew all about
: things like stockpots, how to
: prepare meat, all the basics, all
: sorts. Right from an early age.

: when I had the kids I was so busy
: being perfect, and getting
: everything done :h6) I lost that
: love of cooking. It became Work ,
: and a bit boring because there was
: so much other stuff to focus on
: instead - and the previous
: relaxation all gone. Another
: factor was I was constantly
: hungry, So food became an enemy to
: be overcome :s7(

: so looking back to those years I am a
: bit amazed. I am that impressed I
: got through actually. Gave me a
: lot of future skills to use. I
: used to have a few recipes that I
: would rotate round. Easy things
: because I couldn't think at all.
: Anyone talking about cooking love
: would have got me thinking, well,
: its ok for them to talk. They
: probably don't put on weight by
: just looking at a bread bun. And
: how have they got the energy to
: chop stuff anyway? :s9( :s6( :s2(

: I still do the old recipes like this
: one. Chicken and chorizo bake -
: you can just sling it in the oven
: on a timer, takes no time at all
: to prepare - unpeeled potato of
: course and any vegetable too -
: don't even have to peel a carrot,
: anything can add in
:
: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1897691/chicken-and-chorizo-traybake

: it was just a case of hang on and get
: food out there in the old days.
: Which I realise now, was just
: right and really doing OK :h12)

: Things changed right at the end of
: step three. The difference being I
: think I started to see food as a
: bit more friendly. Getting things
: right for me was my self care and
: support. I noticed I was getting
: more interested in cooking again.
: I still cook lots for the 'overs'
: because with my favourites I could
: eat the same thing for weeks ( and
: sometimes, I do ! Because it is so
: delicious)

: I like going to the library and
: browsing their cookbooks. Its so
: funny ( but biochemically
: explainable!) that I don't ever
: gaze at something and think, oh I
: cant have it. I admire the
: artistry and turn the page. I sort
: of home in on my good stuff
: instead. Must have got radiant
: antennae tuned in to it somehow

: now I am soothed by choosing the
: right knife and chopping garlic
: just like I used to, or choosing
: really plump red peppers to stuff
: with olive oil, garlic and anchovy
: and tomato. Sometimes the
: accompaniments can add so much to
: a plain dish. Food preparation got
: a happy thing again.