a cooking lesson

You cook for others, unless you don't.

- quote by me ;) -

This is the first thing you need to  learn before you learn how to prepare food. This is especially true when you cook for your family. I know this sounds redundant, but think about it. As a kid you weren't very happy to eat your vegetables, were you? You always wanted to have a piece of cake or a cookie before your meal, or instead of the meal. Or, if you had siblings, on their birthday you were upset because your mom would prepare something THEY liked, not something you liked.

If you cook for others you most likely want then to show appreciation for your effort, and skills. I know I do. But have you ever considered that they can't be genuinely happy eating if they don't like the food? You must consider that while broccoli is healthy, it is definitely not everyone's favorite. However, if you manage to cook that broccoli in an interesting way, making it look funny, or nice, be sure the effort will be noticed, and they might be more eager to eat it.

I now struggle with this "cooking for others" deal. Me and the person I share the food with, have almost opposite tastes in food. While I'm not bothered by slightly uncooked food, they like it well cooked. The "well cooked" food turns burned, for me. Right now, I blame it on the stove and on me forgetting about everything. I dislike burned food. They don't. How do I fix this? I practice. However, this doesn't always work out. Clearly, if I were the only one eating, I wouldn't care much, but I have to pay attention to cooking time.

Additionally, you know how some aromatic plants, like basil, dill, parsley, are commonly used for certain dishes? Well, make sure everyone like those plants and condiments. We don't eat dill, parsley, onions, and garlic. We are allergic to the last 2, and the first 2 are related to the last 2. We love chilli, black pepper, basil, and I forgot what else. You now know what stuff to definitely avoid if you want to cook for us. ;)

Every lesson must have a homework.

1. What type of food does everyone around you like?
2. Does anyone eating your food have allergies, even mild ones?
3. What foods are simply not liked by anyone around you?
4. Can you think of ways to improve the taste/appearance of those foods?

Fell free to ask or tell me stuff below.

See you next time~~~

© Charly Cross 2013 - present. All rights reserved.