suamas guide to cheap and delicious cooking
The best guide on Basil for you starving college students living on ramen every day. Weirdly enough, people have approached me a few times asking for cooking advice, so I thought I'd compile a guide for eating cheaply. :x I don't know what cooking facilities are like in most American colleges, so just give me a list of what you have access to and I'll see what I can do. (Apologies for any typos, I'm typing in the dark right now.)
You can add whatever small bits of cooked meat to a lot of these basic ideas, but to be honest it's cheaper being vegetarian. Remember to be creative though!.. Or to use whatever leftovers to pad food out.
[header]The essentials[/header]
[header]White sauce[/header]
25g/1 tablespoon of butter
25g/1 tablespoon of flour
600ml milk
Put the butter and flour in a saucepan and cook on the stove on a medium low heat. Mix it until the butter melts and combines with the flour to make like a paste. Then add a small bit of milk, whisk until smooth (It will start to get thick really quickly), add a bit more milk, whisk, and repeat until all the milk is in the pan. Carry on whisking on the stove until the sauce is thick enough to your liking (It may take like 5-10 mins.), and season with salt and pepper.
[i]What can this be used for?[/i]
It's basically a cheaper and healthier way to make a cream sauce without using double cream or anything. So you can
- add cheese to make [b]mac and cheese[/b]
- [b]cauliflower cheese[/b]
- add pesto to make a [b]creamy pesto sauce[/b] (Which is better than using pure pesto since it makes it last longer thus saving more money )
- use it for [b]topping lasagne[/b]
- fry off onions, mushrooms, garlic then adding the sauce to make a [b]delicious pasta sauce[/b] (You can actually fry the veggies in the fat, then add the flour and milk like normal, just add more oil/butter as it's absorbed by the veg)
[header]Red/Tomato sauce[/header]
To be honest, it's pretty cheap just to buy jars of tomato sauce. But if you do wanna make it yourself:
Tins of chopped tomatoes
Onions
Tomato paste
Ketchup
Sugar
Random herbs
Fry up the onions (And whatever other veggies you like that need frying) in a little oil, chuck in the chopped tomatoes with about a tablespoon of tomato paste, ketchup, sugar, then put in enough salt, pepper and random herbs to your taste.
[i]What can this be used for?[/i]
Man, what can't this be used for. :o Variations and recipes include:
- Frying off minced meat before the onions, drain the fat and carry on with the basic recipe and you have [b]bolognaise,[/b] which can also be used for [b]lasagne. [/b]
- Adding with the white sauce to make a [b]creamy tomato sauce[/b]
- For something really easy (But not necessarily quick) [b]Pasta bake:[/b] get a big dish, fill it 1/3 with a layer of raw pasta (Like ziti or the swirly ones), get your favourite pasta sauce and dump it in, then using the glass it was in, fill it with water and dump that in the dish as well. Mix til it's all one consistency. At this point, you can shove in frozen veg like peas, sweetcorn, etc. Put it in the oven at 180C (don't know in F sorry) and cook for 30 mins. While that's cooking, grate as much cheese as you like, then after the 30 mins most of the water should be dissolved. (You should probably mix it from time to time in that 30 mins. If it looks really dry at the 20 min mark, add more water. If it looks really wet still, cook for longer.) Once it looks saucy enough, add a crapload of cheese and cook for another 15 mins until the cheese is nice and crispy.
- [b]"Huevos Rancheros"[/b] (I think? I made this and was told it was Huevos Rancheros, but it's just something I made up) by adding chopped chillies, chipotle chilli powder, paprika to the pasta sauce in a frying pan, then cracking 2 eggs on top, putting a lid on so the yolks cook a little (But they still have to be runny!), then serving with thick crusty bread.
- [b]Tomato soup[/b], just add some chicken stock (Either cubes or from bones, which I will go on about later)
- [b]3 Bean chilli,[/b] by simply adding chilli (either fresh or ground), tins of drained black, pinto and kidney beans, corn and topping with cheese.
- Roasting a spaghetti squash for an hour, fork it out and top it with the sauce
[header]Mashed potatoes[/header]
A crapload of potatoes (And a pot big enough to hold crapload of potatoes)
Milk
Butter
Salt
Pepper
A potato masher and a little elbow grease
Peel and chop potatoes into even chunks and put into the pot with enough water to cover the potatoes. Add a bit of salt to the water and set the stove to high, checking it from time to time so it doesn't boil over. Cook until the potatoes are soft, which will be about 15 mins depending on the size. Drain all the water. Once it's all drained, add milk (how much depends on what you want to use it for; For fishcakes it won't need much milk at all) and butter, and mash the hell out of it until it's smooth. Taste. Does it need salt and pepper or more butter? Then you know what to do.
[i]What can it be used for?[/i]
You might be wondering why I added mashed potatoes. Simply because, they're so versatile. :o I'd suggest making a big batch of mashed potatoes at the beginning of the week, since these can be turned into
- [b]Fish cakes[/b] (mix boiled/steamed fish and random veg in with the potatoes, and cover in breadcrumbs if you can be assed. Fry in a little oil on both sides til crunchy or cook in oven until crunchy),
- [b]Sheppard's/Cottage pie[/b] (make the bolognaise mentioned in the red sauce and top with the mash. You can eat it like it is but it's nicer if you put it in the oven for a bit so the top goes crispy)
- [b]Croquettes[/b]
- [b]Bangers and mash[/b] (sausages, mashed potatoes, gravy, peas, yum)
- [b]Thickening soups[/b]
[header]Roast Chicken[/header]
If you want a bit of meat in your life, I'd suggest buying whole chicken. They're cheap, there's a lot of meat and the bones can be used for stock as well. I can't say exactly how to cook roast chicken as the times vary depending on the weight, but according to Google this is a guideline for roasting times for a chicken at 375ºF (190ºC).
[b]Chicken Roasting times (unstuffed)[/b]
2½ - 3 lbs - 1 - 1¾ hrs
3½ - 4 lbs - 1½ - 1¾ hrs
4½ - 5 lbs - 1½ - 2 hrs
5 - 6 lbs - 1¾ - 2½ hrs
I can't stress enough that you don't contaminate other things with your raw chicken hands and to check if the chicken is cooked thoroughly. This means clear juices with no pinkness in the meat. Always check from the thickest part of the meat, such as the thigh.
[i]So what it be used for?[/i]
- A [b]roast dinner.[/b] Obviously.
- [b]Stir fries[/b]
- [b]Sandwiches[/b]
- [b]Pies[/b] (Put chicken with gravy in a dish with random cooked veg like leeks, carrots, mushrooms then top with premade shortcrust pastry)
- [b]Pasta dishes[/b]
- [b]Salads[/b]
and so on. Let your imagination and tastebuds go wild. :o
But wait! Don't throw the carcass away. Chuck it in a pot of boiling water instead with salt and pepper. Let it simmer for like an hour or two, and then you'll have chicken stock, which you can
- Make into [b]gravy[/b] by adding it to flour and cooking the flour out on the stove to thicken (Careful, it can get lumpy very easily)
- [b]Soup bases[/b]
- Or for [b]broths[/b] for things like [b]wonton soup[/b] or [b]pho[/b] (I think? I've only had pho once)
[header]Flavoured butters[/header]
Flavoured butters are so easy, and it's such a tasty way to flavour boring foods, even sandwiches. ;D Just get some softened butter and flavour it with various things such as
- fresh herbs
- garlic puree
- chillies
- lemon rind
- sundried tomatoes
- capers
- smoked salmon
- curry powder
And other flavourful ingredients. My favourite combination is fresh rosemary, garlic and lemon rind. Remember to try and make the ingredients as fine as possible, chewing on a massive chunk of garlic isn't the tastiest of things.
[i]What can it be used for?[/i]
I use flavoured butters when I can't be assed to cook much, but don't wanna just shove something in the microwave. So I generally use it with
- Hot spaghetti
- On top of meat, fish or veg
- Hot cous cous
- With mashed or baked potatoes
- In sandwiches
- With scrambled eggs
- [b]Garlic bread[/b] that'll go perfectly with the pasta. There's two ways that I make garlic bread, depending on how many people I'm making it for. For a large group of people, I just get a big french baguette, cut slices in it about an inch apart from each other (But making sure it doesn't go too deep, you want it to stay together) and put a knob of flavoured butter in the gashes. Bake for about 8-10 minutes on 180C until the butter is melted.
Another way I do it is getting a nice thick slice of any type of bread, spread butter on quite thickly on one side and fry it in a pan until golden. This way is much tastier but is more effort.
It's not a good idea to actually cook with the flavoured butters though, since the ingredients inside are likely to burn and turn bitter. But yeah, this is definitely something you can customise to whatever you like.
[header]Perfect pasta[/header]
Here are some tips for the perfect pasta as requested by @Wallflowers
- Get a big pot of water for the pasta. The reason why you want a big pot is so that the pasta has more space to move, making it less likely to stick to each other
- Add about 1-2 tablespoons of salt to the water. This increases the boiling temperature. Don't worry about the pasta being too salty though, it won't absorb as much salt as say vegetables do.
- Boil the water before putting in the pasta. If you put the pasta in while the water's cold, it's more likely to get soggy.
- Mix the pasta in the water every few minutes so it won't stick.
- Don't overcook! I can't tell you the exact amount of time, but just remember to taste test all the time, like you should always do with cooking. You want it "al dente", meaning you want the pasta to have a little bit of bite to it (Not crunchy), rather than just being soggy and tasteless. You also need to remember it will carry on cooking once it's been drained in the colander as well.
That's it for basic stuff. Will post various recipes throughout the thread. Please feel free to share any of your recipes for cheap deliciousness and I'll link to them if they're not troll posts.
Disclaimer: Try the recipes at your own risk. If you don't like it or didn't cook it enough so you fall ill, then it's not my problem. Apologies if there are things that are unclear, my English writing skills are pretty naff. If you need anything elaborated or made clearer, please feel free to ask. And yeah yeah, too long didn't read etc
[header]Other recipes[/header]
[url=http://www.basilmarket.com/forum/2231431/1/#37657152]Eggy baked potato[/url]
[url=http://www.basilmarket.com/forum/2231431/2/#37658433]Spaghetti Carbonara[/url]
[url=http://i56.tinypic.com/2w58v9c.jpg]Parmesan and green onion swirls[/url] Thanks @SwitcherUpper!
[url=http://i53.tinypic.com/2zq65gm.jpg]Tuna noodle casserole[/url] Thanks @SwitcherUpper!
[url=http://www.basilmarket.com/forum/2231431/3/#37663700]Green rice[/url] Thanks @SwitcherUpper!
[url=http://www.basilmarket.com/forum/2231431/3/#37663831]Roasted vegetable cous cous[/url]
[url=http://www.basilmarket.com/forum/2231431/2/#37663527]Banana and peanut butter ice cream[/url]
[url=http://www.basilmarket.com/forum/2231431/3/#37664040]Easiest peanut butter cookies[/url]
[url=http://www.basilmarket.com/forum/2231431/4/#37670154]Shortbread[/url]
[url=http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chocolate-chip-banana-bread-ii/detail.aspx]Chocolate chip banana bread[/url] Thanks @Elegant!
74 Comments • Newest first
@Elegant: Yeah, banana bread is already really moist from the fruit anyway, so the mayo's a bit strange to add. I made banana bread once and it took bloody ages to cook, think it ended up cooking for about 80 mins? Also, I made cake too, last week for a friend's birthday! It was a red velvet World of Warcraft cake, soooo good. Plus it was my second attempt at decorating and I was quite chuffed. :o http://suamaaaaa.tumblr.com/post/11705742326/i-made-cake-wow
[quote=SonGokuFood]@suama: But.. But.. But I dono how D=!... Umm what about.. a big mac?
edit: LASAGNA! LOVE THIS STUFF![/quote]
Big Macs are pretty gross too. If you make your own burgers, you can make them as thick and as big as you want... You could even put a chunk of cheese in the middle. :o
@suama: But.. But.. But I dono how D=!... Umm what about.. a big mac?
edit: LASAGNA! LOVE THIS STUFF!
@SonGokuFood: Dude, I ain't teaching you how to make a sandwich.
@sarangbi: Cream cheese is amazing with scrambled eggs as well, especially the garlic herb flavour, omggg
@suama: whats wrong with chu? what about jacket potatoes? with tuna mayo?
OMG A BLT? WHY NO BLTS?
[quote=Elegant]I had it with this Buttermilk Fried Chicken that I made.
Probably not that the healthiest meal I've made, but it's a once in a while treat. [/quote]
How did you make that? I've never bought buttermilk before. o_o And I hate deepfrying stuff, so much effort. But it all sounds delicious.
@SonGokuFood: Ew, beans are minging they ain't gonna be on my list
[quote=NineCrimes]Alternately: nommin ramen nommin ramen nommin ramen
@macaroni: DKFAHIDFHOIADHI[/quote]
i luv u <3
I like making my mashed potatoes with cream cheese. You should try it. So yumm.
dude where the beans on toast?
[quote=Elegant]@lolomgbbq: AGREED. Btw, my mashed potatoes turned out great. YUM [/quote]
Oh yay! What did you have it with?
Thank you. Now to pretend I know how to cook when my girlfriend comes on campjus.
i'm like the biggest trainwreck to ever hit the kitchen so this is much appreciated AHAHAH
I believe this deserves a sticky. If it doees get stickied we should all contribute to add yummy recidpes.
[quote=suama]@Sirush: Oooo, all of those sound amazing to me. :x (Besides the liver, haha) The roast meat might've been the tenderloin. And I dunno about just moving on... I'll only move on if I have another job lined up, I'm getting pretty desperate for some decent income.
@evilslasher: What book is that? o_o And I guess a variation would be a ramen omelette... Cook the ramen in hot water without the seasoning until soft, drain, whisk 2 eggs and a bit of milk with half the seasoning sachet, heat up a pan with a little butter/oil, chuck the noodles in, pour in the egg, let it cook a bit, flip over, leave for a minute or two, then serve. Totally unhealthy, but it's something different I guess. :x
@Elegant: It's pretty weird how there isn't a thumbs up thing. [/quote]
I think it's For the Win, by Cory Doctorow. It's a pretty cool book, involving the lives of gamers across different continents and how they come together to fight against the government... through mmorpgs. Yep, I'm a nerd.
I like how your basil charcter is a chef looking one thanks for the food recipes
@Sirush: Oooo, all of those sound amazing to me. :x (Besides the liver, haha) The roast meat might've been the tenderloin. And I dunno about just moving on... I'll only move on if I have another job lined up, I'm getting pretty desperate for some decent income.
@evilslasher: What book is that? o_o And I guess a variation would be a ramen omelette... Cook the ramen in hot water without the seasoning until soft, drain, whisk 2 eggs and a bit of milk with half the seasoning sachet, heat up a pan with a little butter/oil, chuck the noodles in, pour in the egg, let it cook a bit, flip over, leave for a minute or two, then serve. Totally unhealthy, but it's something different I guess. :x
@Elegant: It's pretty weird how there isn't a thumbs up thing.
Cheesy potato sandwiches. It lasted that one guy in that book for six months.
I was actually hoping for some variations on "normal" ramen, since you mentioned it in your introduction.
When I have time I make grilled mac and cheese
>Thread about food
I love it already.
[quote=Sirush]@suama: Not many, out of the 3 times I have helped so far, only managed to go out to the event with 2 of them. One was some sort of apartment association meeting, was definitely interesting, and the other was someone's 40th birthday. Man, that was a nice day though. Was about the most expensive (albeit smaller than mine, technically) apartment I've been in, and the view from the balcony/roof (they had dinner on the roof of the complex) was... amazing.
But on the topic of being slow, you WILL speed up as you get better at what you do, and learn how to effectively organize your work better. And they won't hate you unless you show no signs of improvement, and slack off a lot. Just keep trying and show them you want to learn and improve, ask others if they have any tips to expedite the prep work, etc, and I'm sure you'll be able to stick the job and improve to a satisfactory level, and if you try hard enough, become an indispensable part of the team.
Also, aiming high right from the get-go is ALWAYS a good idea, no matter your experience. The more experienced/professional your teachers, the more room to learn you have, and the faster you can learn. One of my teachers said that you should always aim as high as you can, so you can learn as much as possible, and when you stop learning and wish to move on, then just do so. This industry is one that you will never stop learning in, as long as you wish to learn and explore other areas of cuisine.[/quote]
Woahh, that's awesome you can attend swanky things like that! What did you make for that event?
And yeah, someone else was just talking to me about having a good teacher is the best thing you can do while you're learning. Unfortunately, that's not the case for me in my opinion, seeing as the girl who has to teach me most of the time just treats me like a complete and utter idiot whenever I ask how to do something even though I've never asked before. Or if I make a little mistake like cutting up 2 pineapples instead of 1, she just looks at me with disgust and be all "I didn't tell you to do that". She's really hard to work with. : I guess I'm also scared that I won't be able to improve to their standards, especially seeing as most of them have been working in the same kitchen for at least 5 years. I know it's not good to aim low, but I just hate the feeling of being an inconvenience to people, you know?
@Elegant: Ah yeah, forgot about that little tip. Thanks for the reminder. Might have to try that recipe sometime when I get the chance to. Baking a few cakes this week, but they're more for decorating... Gonna be making a WoW cake, lol. >_>
[quote=Elegant]Great guide! Gave me some new recipes to try--so excited to make them.
THANKS, Suama! [/quote]
Glad I could help. :o Just wondering, have you ever cooked the recipe you posted? It calls for mayonnaise, can you taste it at all? o_o I've heard about mayonnaise in cakes before, but I've never been tempted to try it to be honest...
This is a great guide Props for taking the time to do this. I'm sure this will come in handy for a lot of us.
[quote=Sirush]@suama: The fact that they were willing to put you on a trial shift at all is really good though. Just bear it and grin, because if you survive without being frustrated they are fairly likely to hire you, unless you did a horrible job. And even if they don't hire you, just think of it as real-life experience, and accept it as that.
I just spent both friday and saturday volunteer catering for my teacher, on my own time. That will never get me hired, but I still do it, because it gives me experience in the trade I can't get from my classes, and the chance to go to some amazing places.[/quote]
I guess, but the chef that I work with the most says I'm good but constantly complains about how slow I am, and I know that's true. But everyone else in the kitchen is like "Well she's not getting paid so cut her some slack". But what if I do get the job and start getting paid? Everyone's gonna hate me more then which'll make communicating between everyone awkward. So even if they do give me a job, I don't know if I should take it since I really don't think I'm good enough to start off in a 5 star hotel with literally no experience and no schooling.
Oooo, what kinda places have you worked at? :o
@Narutouzum78: Souffles are quite difficult actually, since there's a chance of them collapsing or not gaining enough height if it's not done right. :x I've only made them once myself anyway, and that was years ago. (It was amazing though, lol) There's a few sweet biscuits and stuff near the bottom that I've posted throughout the thread, but I'll post more easy dessert things now. Like the sound of coconut and mango panacotta?
@Elegant: I just made a post about flavoured butters and for some reason I didn't even put garlic bread in it. I'll add this to it, thanks.
There's two ways that I make garlic bread, depending on how many people I'm making it for. For a large group of people, I just get a big french baguette, cut slices in it about an inch apart from each other (But making sure it doesn't go too deep, you want it to stay together) and put a knob of flavoured butter in the gashes. Bake for about 8-10 minutes on 180C until the butter is melted.
Another way I do it is getting a nice thick slice of any type of bread, spread butter on quite thickly on one side and fry it in a pan until golden. This way is much tastier but is more effort.
Hope that helps?
Am I the only one here who likes to eat pizza with ice cream on top?
@Kalemora Well, even [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zySssSG9RGU&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PLE5E1AA14E516E89A]cooking mama[/url] thinks it's pretty simple.
Hi, I love you.
Been eating microwave-instant food for lunch because my mealplan for the dining commons is too tiny :c
Let's hope I don't set off the fire alarm in the kitchen.
I love you.
[quote=CorruptPanda]I add a tiny bit of vanilla extract to my mash. It doesn't give it any flavour but it makes the mash a hell of a lot smoother. Try it. [/quote]
That's random as hell, how did you find that out? o_o Might have to try that next time I make mash.
[quote=Sirush]@suama: I don't have the money either, that's why there's student loans and monthly/quarterly payment plans >.>
Also, have you tried applying for just the dishwasher position or do you apply for a higher one? 'Cuz they're more likely to higher you as a dishwasher at first than they are a higher up position, esp. in fancier places. Practicing your knife skills at home is also a good idea, as that is the biggest thing a potential employer will look for, from what I hear some places won't even look at your resume, they'll just hand you some veggies and tell you to cut them. When trying to apply, it also helps to ask to speak with the chef directly, and try and have a decent conversation with him and act confident, because if you just hand your resume over and slink away they probably won't even look at it.[/quote]
Well I've been working my ass off doing work experience as a pastry chef, but they've barely been saying anything to me at all.. It's pretty frustrating. I've only been helping out but recently, they put me on a trial shift by myself to see how I'd do for a week on the evening service. Unpaid. I could've so easily just walked out and it wouldn't even matter to me because I'm not getting any money. :x The whole thing is just really frustrating, there's loads of other issues but I can't really be assed to go on about it on here.
[b]Flavoured butters[/b]
Flavoured butters are so easy, and it's such a tasty way to flavour boring foods, even sandwiches. ;D Just get some softened butter and flavour it with various things such as fresh herbs, garlic puree, chillis, lemon rind, sundried tomatoes, and other flavourful ingredients. My favourite combination is fresh rosemary, garlic and lemon rind. Remember to try and make the ingredients as fine as possible, chewing on a massive chunk of garlic isn't the tastiest of things.
[i]What can it be used for?[/i]
I use flavoured butters when I can't be assed to cook much, but don't wanna just shove something in the microwave. So I generally use it with
- Hot spaghetti
- On top of meat, fish or veg
- Hot cous cous
- With mashed or baked potatoes
- In sandwiches
- With scrambled eggs
It's not a good idea to actually cook with the flavoured butters though, since the ingredients inside are likely to burn and turn bitter. But yeah, this is definitely something you can customise to whatever you like.
Woah... too much work
I think i'll stay with mixing breadcrumbs with Vegemite...
i need a diet full in protein
thanks tho
[quote=Uglamore]How much is meat in britain? Here in Southern California, I can get a good kilo of chicken for about 5 USD; or Steak for about 7 dollars. I just pan fry them in oil (and bake the chicken to thoroughly cook it) then eat with rice.[/quote]
Hmm, for a whole chicken that's around half a kilo, I'd say it's about $8, but with steak that totally varies. For the cheapest cut, maybe $5 for 1 piece? Not entirely sure to be honest. It's weird though, when I've been grocery shopping in the US, I noticed how expensive fresh ingredients are and most of the time, it was actually so much cheaper to just buy processed/premade stuff. But it kinda icks me out knowing what kinda crap they put in some stuff. :x
@Boss: Getting more basics down would definitely be useful. If you need help with anything you can always ask in here.
@sakikatana: I'm not sure about what colleges in the US are like when it comes to kitchen things, but Unis here are always supplied with a complete kitchen. It's so bizarre that cooking is one of the main things that help you get independent, yet I've heard about some US colleges literally having a microwave and nothing else. And don't worry about him, we just have a mutual hate. (More like, he be jealous but I'll just say mutual hate to make him feel better)
Thanks for all the comments everyone, hope your cooking goes well.
@suama: An ideal way to have pasta 'al dente' is to stop cooking a minute before the recommended time on the packaging. Of course, you'd test it to see whether you like how chewy it is; I generally have it two minutes before it's all mushy.
I'd start testing out the pasta about two minutes in, lowering the heat to half when doing so. Keep in mind that the pasta still cooks as long as it is soaking in water so drain it ASAP before making the sauce.
I wish I was capable of operating any sort of cooking appliance... or at least had the slightest clue about cooking.
All I know how to do is make myself some fried eggs and put some jam on toast. Am I set for living on my own?
[quote=Sirush]@suama: Work experience is generally much more helpful, I learn more helping one of my teachers with their catering than I do in actual class, although it does drill into you your basics, as well as gives you a full foodsafe/whmis (iirc) and servingitright course, and is also great for making lasting references if you get along with the teachers. Really expensive though, costing me $26k for a 1-year degree (or was it diploma, idk cant remember). And I don't have any "cheap" recipes that I can think of right now, and the stuff in the books is more high-class than on-a-budget.
Unless you count fried eggs cooked through with a dash of seasoning salt and a slice of mozzarella melted on top between 2 pieces of toast a recipe (that's my breakfast most mornings, esp school days).[/quote]
Yeah, I really don't have that kinda money, so I'm hoping I can cope with just work experience. :x I've already finished a degree in web design, but I took a year out travelling so I'm really out of touch and I need some sort of income while I'm re-learning. Although seeing as I have absolutely no food qualifications, most jobs are ignoring me.
[quote=suama]Well I also have a boob hanging out according to my outfit but people haven't approached me about prostitution yet. But thanks for the comment. [/quote]
Get in.
[quote=Sirush]@suama: Work experience is generally much more helpful, I learn more helping one of my teachers with their catering than I do in actual class, although it does drill into you your basics, as well as gives you a full foodsafe/whmis (iirc) and servingitright course, and is also great for making lasting references if you get along with the teachers. Really expensive though, costing me $26k for a 1-year degree (or was it diploma, idk cant remember). And I don't have any "cheap" recipes that I can think of right now, and the stuff in the books is more high-class than on-a-budget.
Unless you count fried eggs cooked through with a dash of seasoning salt and a slice of mozzarella melted on top between 2 pieces of toast a recipe (that's my breakfast most mornings, esp school days).[/quote]
aha i have that breakfast on the weekends all the time. Wish i could have it during the week but i never have time T.T
[b]Octopus weiners[/b]
Not really a recipe, but thought it was cute. :x http://homecooking.about.com/od/beef/ss/hdoctopussbs_2.htm
@Keey: It's because you are a king, my dear.
@orangeking11: Everyone should always have a burst of melted cheese moments.
Yes yes yes! ^.^ -is a chef- I went to college for it. Also rice can go a long way. Rice+beans, or rice+eggs or some form of meat and you have a complex carbohydrate. Stir fries though are another good one, you can throw anything you want in it. I will say this though, in college it's hard to afford the healthy things xD
I need to introduce you to my wife. Nancy, meet suama ; Suama, meet Nancy.
Let the learning begin..
[quote=suama]
Didn't really bother because it's pretty much basic knowledge. :x I can put it up on the list if you'd like though.
[/quote]
Nah, was just having a "burst of melted cheese love" moment. xD
So a few days ago I was a twiggy guy, living off of MSG.
Now i feel like a king.
[b]Shortbread[/b]
2oz sugar
4oz cubed butter
6oz flour
Chuck it all in a bowl and rub the butter, flour and sugar together with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Using your palms, collect it all together until a ball of dough forms. Roll it into a big sausage shape, wrap it in clingfilm and put in the fridge. Then whenever you have a craving for something sweet, put the oven on 190C, unwrap the dough and just slice off however many pieces you want. I'd recommend making the slices about 5mm thick. Put on a baking tray, place in the oven til pale golden brown or 15-20 mins. You can do this with a lot of cookie recipes, even from frozen.
[quote=orangeking11]How is Grilled Cheese not listed? Easiest quick meal like ever. xD
Ingredients: Some butter, 2 slices of bread (any), slice(s) of cheese (American is common, but w/e works), and a non-stick pan.
Generously butter each slice of bread on one side. Heat your pan. Place one slice into the pan, buttered-side down. Place your cheese on top of that slice of bread. Place other slice of bread on top, butter-side up. Flip over when bottom is golden-brown. Cook until other side is also golden-brown. Serves one and takes like 3 mins to make. xD[/quote]
Didn't really bother because it's pretty much basic knowledge. :x I can put it up on the list if you'd like though.
@Sirush: Do you have any recipes to add? :o And is it worth it going to culinary school? I'm doing work experience at a Hilton hotel right now and I don't know if I should do a few courses just to feel more comfortable working in a kitchen or not.
How is Grilled Cheese not listed? Easiest quick meal like ever. xD
Ingredients: Some butter, 2 slices of bread (any), slice(s) of cheese (American is common, but w/e works), and a non-stick pan.
Generously butter each slice of bread on one side. Heat your pan. Place one slice into the pan, buttered-side down. Place your cheese on top of that slice of bread. Place other slice of bread on top, butter-side up. Flip over when bottom is golden-brown. Cook until other side is also golden-brown. Serves one and takes like 3 mins to make. xD
@suama: So you do know the evils of ramen <3
@suama: I do a similar vegetarian version... kind of, but with crushed and diced tomatoes with homemade sauce (I like it more than the store-bought).
Saute the onion with a little oil and add in some crushed or chopped garlic, then add some beans, the tomato mixture, and some bell peppers (or jalapeno). Slow cook it for about an hour with a pinch of cinnamon and salt&pepper to taste.
These are pretty good recipes and tips :O I dont know why people think cooking is hard... Its just mostly about creativity. Yeah of course you can be short on money and recipes sometimes... but still! There are so many easy things XD Btw @suama I really want to thank you for the tomato sauce recipe. Will help me a lot with future dishes. I just want to add, you can chop the breast area of a chicken (forgot the name of it) in small squares or pieces, fry them and add vegetables with the sauce, boil them together with the tomato sauce and pour and mix with pasta you will have a delicious dish! XD
EDIT: @metaghost3 Wow... why are you so dam harsh to her? Has she caused any harm to you? Instead of failing to troll her and start unnecessary fights and argues, point out things, you think you can make better (even though I doubt it, but who knows?) or help her improve. And don't you go give me an half baked answer like; "Everything is fail here". Feedback instead of being butthurt, sir. Besides, most of the recipes and simple dishes are very easy to follow but can get you full and happy for a day. I don't really see any faults with the recipes and guidelines she put up. Kudos to her.
[b]Peanut butter cookies[/b]
Easiest cookie recipe ever. Not exactly healthy, but if you ever want a quick cookie fix..
1 jar of peanut butter
1 cup of sugar
1 egg
Mix it all together until it forms a dough, rolls into balls and place onto baking tray. Squash with a fork and bake for about 10-15 mins. Let it cool for a bit, then eat.
[quote=ShiroNoYami]@suama: how about a simple chili as well?
Brown some grounded meat with some chopped onions and garlic, diced tomatoes and some sauce (tomato or bbq or similar), add some beans and jalapeno (or green pepper if you don't want it spicy; remember to remove the seeds, though), and slow cook it for like an hour or so. Salt and pepper to taste, add whatever else you want in there as well [/quote]
Yeah, I've already put a really simple vegetarian one up there anyway. :x Thanks though!
@suama: how about a simple chili as well?
Brown some grounded meat with some chopped onions and garlic, diced tomatoes and some sauce (tomato or bbq or similar), add some beans and jalapeno (or green pepper if you don't want it spicy; remember to remove the seeds, though), and slow cook it for like an hour or so. Salt and pepper to taste, add whatever else you want in there as well
@metaghost3: Well congrats that you think the fact you can boil a kettle and add it to noodles is "doing well". *Clap clap clap*
And says the one who's comparing me to an anime character? I think that's the saddest thing I've seen in a while. Get off the internet, read a book with no pictures in, then we'll talk. But for now, good day.