Arthur WilliamsSTAPLES OF ANY MEAL
July 17th 2008 12:34
Righto, at this point I am going to share with you a secret of cooking a restaurant quality meal at home using staples. Come closer, no, no closer I want to whisper this in your ear. If you hit your head on the screen, well that was silly wasn't it.
Sorry, but to work in a kitchen you have to have a sense of humour, most important. But seriously, anybody can cook. On a basic level it is systematic, what I mean by that is if you are rebuilding a motor, putting together a cupboard or anything manual there are tools, ingredients and an order you use to put it together. Cooking is the same, that is what menus are for they are an instructional manual. Learn them and you can cook anything off the top of your head, really it is that simple. Now here is a secret ingredient I use in all my recipes, wait for it...no it is not staples. It is LOVE. I mean that I have trained apprentices and have had people ask what have I put in my food because it is different to the apprentices, my answer was and will always be love. To be great you have to love what you do.
So back to the staples, 1) Onion
2) Garlic
3) A choice of vegies
4) A meat base(not if your a veggie)
5) A sauce (optional)
What can you make with that? Anything, a pasta add your choice of sauce tomato or cream, a stew, meat and three veg, a curry, kebabs. Do I need to go on? To turn it into a two course, get a couple of rolls out and butter and hey presto you have a garlic bread, you want a three course, buy a dessert or make one, add ice cream, cream or custard.
Alright an example of a pasta sauce using the above ingredients.
Depending on size and your taste, grab one to two onions slice and saute until translucent.
Crush garlic and cook in with the onion.(Garlic cooks quick, and again add as little as much as your taste allows)
Chuck in some mushies and chicken. Let the chicken cook through and add cream, bring to the boil and drop back to a simmer. Let it reduce, which means let the liquid evaporate until it is thick.
While this is happening cook your pasta.
Once the pasta is cooked toss through the sauce and serve.
Now here is a second example, cover a chunck of meat and a selection of your favourite vegies in oil, add a herb and garlic and chuck it in the oven. Once it is the meat is brown cover in foil. Depending on the size of the meat depends on the cooking time, secret, cook on a low heat. To check cut the meat when you think it is ready, the type of meat depends on the degree of doneness. So if it is anything other than chicken, a little bit of pink in the middle is O.K. And don't forget the gravy.
Now the tricky bit for creating restaurant quality, presentation. Don't throw the food on the plate, get creative and practice. Pasta, get most of the noodles in the bowl and almost tease it up, add the bulk of the sauce last.
Meat and three veg, think of the plate as a clock. At the bottom, which will face the eater is the meat, the vegie are arrangeed from 9 O'clock to 3 O'oclock in pockets again aim for height. If you are using a gravy or sauce drizzle across one half of the meat.
Most importantly don't play with it too much, simple is best and the more you play the more obvious the misatkes are.
Sorry Rule number two is coming up, but have fun with this and if you want specific recipes and tips let me know, more than happy to oblige. Have fun.
Sorry, but to work in a kitchen you have to have a sense of humour, most important. But seriously, anybody can cook. On a basic level it is systematic, what I mean by that is if you are rebuilding a motor, putting together a cupboard or anything manual there are tools, ingredients and an order you use to put it together. Cooking is the same, that is what menus are for they are an instructional manual. Learn them and you can cook anything off the top of your head, really it is that simple. Now here is a secret ingredient I use in all my recipes, wait for it...no it is not staples. It is LOVE. I mean that I have trained apprentices and have had people ask what have I put in my food because it is different to the apprentices, my answer was and will always be love. To be great you have to love what you do.
So back to the staples, 1) Onion
2) Garlic
3) A choice of vegies
4) A meat base(not if your a veggie)
5) A sauce (optional)
What can you make with that? Anything, a pasta add your choice of sauce tomato or cream, a stew, meat and three veg, a curry, kebabs. Do I need to go on? To turn it into a two course, get a couple of rolls out and butter and hey presto you have a garlic bread, you want a three course, buy a dessert or make one, add ice cream, cream or custard.
Alright an example of a pasta sauce using the above ingredients.
Depending on size and your taste, grab one to two onions slice and saute until translucent.
Crush garlic and cook in with the onion.(Garlic cooks quick, and again add as little as much as your taste allows)
Chuck in some mushies and chicken. Let the chicken cook through and add cream, bring to the boil and drop back to a simmer. Let it reduce, which means let the liquid evaporate until it is thick.
While this is happening cook your pasta.
Once the pasta is cooked toss through the sauce and serve.
Now here is a second example, cover a chunck of meat and a selection of your favourite vegies in oil, add a herb and garlic and chuck it in the oven. Once it is the meat is brown cover in foil. Depending on the size of the meat depends on the cooking time, secret, cook on a low heat. To check cut the meat when you think it is ready, the type of meat depends on the degree of doneness. So if it is anything other than chicken, a little bit of pink in the middle is O.K. And don't forget the gravy.
Now the tricky bit for creating restaurant quality, presentation. Don't throw the food on the plate, get creative and practice. Pasta, get most of the noodles in the bowl and almost tease it up, add the bulk of the sauce last.
Meat and three veg, think of the plate as a clock. At the bottom, which will face the eater is the meat, the vegie are arrangeed from 9 O'clock to 3 O'oclock in pockets again aim for height. If you are using a gravy or sauce drizzle across one half of the meat.
Most importantly don't play with it too much, simple is best and the more you play the more obvious the misatkes are.
Sorry Rule number two is coming up, but have fun with this and if you want specific recipes and tips let me know, more than happy to oblige. Have fun.
| 160 |
| Vote |
Comment by jon
Orble News
Urban Hint
Blog Adviser
Jon's Bookmarks
Debate Battle
Orblepedia
Orble Notes
Sydney WeekendNotes
You may also need to add the email address admin -at- orblemail.com to your address book in order to receive Orble admin emails in the future.
Thanks,
Jon.
(Orble Admin)