Well shits to expensive and I’m finally home enough so I’m learning to cook. Turns out when your not being constantly criticized for existing, cooking isn’t nearly as terrible! (Trauma made me hate cooking).
So far I’ve been keeping it very simple. Store bought pasta, store bought sauce, put them together, that kind of thing. I think I’m getting ready to branch out and learn more.
I’d love to hear some things from those of you who know your way around the kitchen. If you have a recipe you love or, a story to tell or, a warning you learned the hard way or, a great website/cookbook/youtube channel or, anything else you feel like sharing.
I’m just here to learn some stuff, hear some stories and get some ideas to try. Thanks for having a fun cooking convo with me!
Fellow non-cook that sometimes dabbles here: my favorite easy food prep is a pack of ramen, then add a whole bunch of stuff I like. I cook this according to the directions on the packet, but while it’s boiling I’ll add a teaspoon of my favorite hot sauce, some smoked tofu, maybe some kimchi, corn, beans, and/or whatever I’m in the mood for.
Adding to existing things does make it sound so much easier.
i use ramen a lot, when i am feeling super lazy. throw out the seasoning packet, (keep any veggie packs), and cook the noodles according to the instructions.
then add : 1-2Tbsp of peanut butter 1-2 Tbsp of chili-garlic sauce (depending on how spicy you like) 1 Tbsp of soy sauce.
mix it all up. eat.
and if you like that, try adding some other stuff : 1tsp grated fresh ginger, or 1/2 tsp sesame oil. or both.
and there are other ways to customize the sauce: add brown sugar or honey for sweetness, rice vinegar or a squeeze of lime juice for acidity, and grated garlic.
add protein. grilled chicken thighs, sliced seared steak, tofu, or tuna.
add vegetables. peas, edamame, or thinly sliced red bell pepper. or the thing that i add to literally almost EVERYTHING i cook : sliced green onions.
this recipe is so stupidly easy. you could even just eat it right out of the pot.
Throwing random stuff into a pot in order to prepare food is technically cooking, but it sure doesn’t feel like the fancy stuff that other people are doing with recipes and reliable results xD
I just kinda throw stuff in there, and 9/10 times it tastes pretty good. I guess as long as you’re starting with a decent soup base and everything going in is either pre-cooked or has time to cook it’s hard to mess up.