Cooking 101

As mentioned in my most recent post, I had a potluck at my friends house. I was contemplating whether to prepare pasta or fried rice or chicken curry. Based on the overall information on who's doing what, I chose to do potato curry.

May sound simple but even with ready-made curry paste I still had some trouble preparing it. Some klutzy handwork and ultra blur mixing, I finally conjured my very own potato and carrot curry thanks to Maggi.

I've deduced certain cooking tips for dummies like myself who all these years have NOT learnt much even when staying on my own while studying in Perth Australia. You're either domesticated or you're not. I guess I am more of the latter.

Point no 1 - When having the notion to cook, always prepare items the day before not on the day itself. Time management and proper psyche is essential.

Point no 2 - When preparing the ingredients, always bring a recipe along or a calculator to calculate serving portions accordingly. Cooking is one thing, pigging out is another.

Point 3 - When items are already in place, always get ready the utensils and the cutlery and the pots and pans and everything else you need for the cook out session. This is important when you have no experience in fast cooking.

Point 4 - When peeling vegetables such as potatoes or carrots please be careful and most of all peel nicely and neatly. Do not leave behind any (form of) skin. It won't look nice plus you'll need lots of plaster after that.

Point 5 - When cooking potatoes or carrots ie hard vegetables, always prepare oneself by bringing forward the hours as such vegetables take a longer time to cook thoroughly. If you're the slow type do it early in the morning if need be.

Point 6 - Always read instruction or tips earlier and try to memorise it if not cook often to practice timing and precision. Again point no 1 is mentioned. Timing is everything.

Point 7 - Always have an apron or wash cloth ready at all times. Unless you're Jamie Oliver you don't need any kind of cloth around you and that you live alone. It's easier to wash up after yourself and you don't have to wash the dirty clothing.

Point 8 - Do not simply fry the onions with anything. Just because you like to fry them doesn't mean you will need them in every procedure. Different dishes require different fragrance or different kinds of taste. It does matter which ingredient comes first regardless whether or not some of the ingredients will eventually go into the same pot.

Point 9 - When cutting onions do not breathe. This reduces the amount of tears that you will excrete. Makes life less miserable. Smile more often instead. It works.

Point 10 - Sometimes you need to use your own noodles or experience to do some cooking. You never know when even recipes have typing error or ommissions. Not everyone is as good as the guide who WROTE the receipe. They need copywriters like me to help them.

Point 11 - Make sure that the kitchen is yours. If it is not yours, make sure you spend the night at the kitchen so that even in your dreams you know where certain utensils are and by the next day you are accustomed to the area around you. And even if the kitchen is yours, always make sure that you KNOW where you last placed the utensil the LAST time you actually was there.

Point 12 - Clean as you go. Do not clean after you have finished because by the time you do finish you will have to clean more than you should. By that time you're timing will be off and you have to rush for dinner time.

Point 13 - Do not let your mum come in the kitchen. I repeat do not let your mum come into the kitchen. She does no good to your reputation even as amateur.

Point 14 - Be imaginative. Try different kinds of style. You never know you might come up with a very special kind of dish. Then you can become like Jamie Oliver and do as you wish with everything, and anything, and everywhere and anyone. I like the thought of being naked chef. It makes sense when you are also an environmentalist.

Point 15 - Most important: Listen to classical or feel good songs while cooking. It keeps you sane when all things go wrong. It also give you rhythm. Enjoy your cooking while it lasts.