Food Glorious Food

          I befriended a chef trained at the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) who watched me cook one day. I took ground beef out of the fridge to make a burger and placed it in a cool pan as usual.

         "What are you doing? Take that out of the pan now!" he said in alarm. I thought the man was going to have a heart attack so I did.

         Once he calmed down, he informed me that the patty should first "rest" at room temperature for about 10 minutes then be placed in a "God awful hot" dry (no oil) pan and left alone until brown around the edge then turned over- and that's it.

         It was the start of a series of lessons in basics. All refrigerated food should rest at room temperature before cooking and be lightly sprinkled with salt to bring out the flavor. Also good for reducing moisture. Always taste the food as you cook to determine seasoning. Prepare all the ingredients before hand ( mise en place in French). Keep your fingers visible and clear of the knife at all times- as I found out the hard way. Never leave cooking unattended, like wandering off to check on the computer. "If it's charred it's Cajun," The chef informed me.

         Americans have been brainwashed into accepting convenient, processed food then wonder why everyone is so fat. We don't use enough fresh herbs, meat and fruit. Shop local, fresh ingredients as much as possible. It will take a bit more time and money but it's worth it. You will have better quality food, it's good for the environment and keeps the economy local.

         Cook over open flame as apposed to a heating element. I know that sounds snobbish but it's true. You can control the heat better. I grew up with gas stoves so when I first moved to an apartment in Eugene I was confused by the push button controls on the electric stove. What is this, fucking Star Trek? The most important purchase I made when I got a house was a bad ass gas stove.

         Which reminds me, kill your microwave. Seriously, it's not a replicator, a faster meal is not a better meal. It's good for popcorn, reheating leftovers and steaming broccoli and that's about it.

         Forget about watching so called cooking shows. Most are thinly disguised game shows and teach you nothing. That goes for most tutorials on YouTube. People speeding through the recipe, skipping steps and showing off. Check out "America's Test Kitchen " or "Great Chefs of Europe" on PBS for practical advise.

         Julia Childs is still regarded as a Goddess to chefs for god reason. Her book  and show updated American cuisine stuck in the 19th century. She wasn't afraid to be seen screwing up and approached cooking with humor.

         You may not be ready for "The Art of French Cooking" If you are just starting to learn but there are three easy meals anyone can cook. Pizza, hamburger, and casseroles.

         There are tons of cook books out there but if you're not sure where to start, go to the library and pick out one in the series by Sunset Magazine. They cover all kinds of cuisine and the recipes are easy to follow.

         For ideas and ingredients I use Better Homes and Garden New Cook Book and "Dad's Own Cook Book" by Bob Sloan, If you are ambitious about the science of food I recommend "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat" by Samin Nosrat.          

         Remember cooking should be fun not a chore, start simple, go easy an yourself and bon appetit.