learn cooking

How I did it: my mum and dad are great cooks. mum always said a man should be self-reliant and cooking is basic skill that will serve you when you live away from home. she was willing to teach me, but i was always saying, ‘no not today, may be later’. finally i learnt it after i moved out. lol. and thank god i did. so anyone out there watching their mum cook. thumbs up!

as i said my mum and dad are great cooks, i have surprisingly discovered that great cooking can run in your blood! and not to mention that my mum's advice worked wonders ;)

instead of trying to learn recipes, learn how certain ingredients behave. how flavours open up and blend. personally i hate to measure everything and follow the written recipe because it is plain boring. no wonder why many people feel cooking is a boring chore. i rather like to experiment everyday and everytime i cook. i like to measure with quick judgement and cook with my instincts.

i can't explain how i learnt cooking and within a month or two became popular among friends. many girls suddenly light up and say, 'you can cook?!'. that's all they say and i don't know whether they think that's a good thing or a bad thing or see it as a very unmanly thing?

but i absolutely am passionate about cooking. moreover, it helps me take out a lot of stress. so its a reward in itself as much as eating it is.

Lessons & tips:

• cooking is a basic skill. it will serve you when you're away from home. or there's no one around to cook for you.
• it is the best way to be healthy and it will save you a lot of money. eating out fills up cholestrol in your heart and fats around your tummy and doesn't make you richer. not only you lose money on day to day basis, but might incurr bigger bills to pay.
• combine exercise with healthy eating habits.
• to learn cooking, understand that certain herbs and spicies are always essential for most food you'll cook.
• for example, to make chicken - ginger, garlic, onion, chilly will always be enough to spice up your chicken and bring in a nice flavour.
• what i love about cooking is that.. two people can use the same ingredients with same measurements and still taste different!
• how? the sequence of the ingredients you add can alter the taste. meaning, what you put 'first' and what you put 'second' can affect the way the recipe will taste. but this depends entirely on how you want it to taste. hence, experiment!
• fresh produce and ingredients will always taste fresh. if you're cooking to surprise your friends.. use fresh ingredients. otherwise, frozen foods are fine.
• mushrooms should always be consumed fresh. or else they may turn mildly poisonous or bad.
• oysters are healthy foods. best way to cook them is the french way.
• a good food advice makes you understand food properties rather than recipes. eg. 'avocados absorb flavour'
• never leave out the presentation. a good aesthtic sense and presentation can fill up half your tummy already. its good on your eyes and its enjoyable.

Jun 24, 04:39AM PDT | 0 comments | 1 cheer