Alright i will start to cook

[®îçhå®?]

Grilled tuna is always a hit with people that i cook for. Get a nice pesto sauce, some olive oil, salt, baby potatos and esparagus and it can turn out nice. Many people neglect the presentation but it is a key paret in the experience of eating. If it looks nice, you tend to enjoy it more. If you want to do desserts, i usually follow this up with rhubarb crumble.

 

[mouchoir]

Forget the cookbooks - those are better when you have a foundation.

Those Delia books mentioned are precisely aimed at building a foundation. They are for the very basic skills you need in order to go on and do more advanced things. They really are for the absolute beginner. Perfect!

 

[jdechko]

...snip...

Yeah, that's probably one of my favorite ways to make chicken. Make sure the pan is hot before you add the oil in. Then turn the heat down to medium-high (about 6-7/10 if you have the marks) or you'll risk overcooking the chicken and drying it out. It usually takes about 4min per side + 1 extra minute just to thoroughly cook the chicken. You can also substitute olive oil for vegetable oil. I think the olive oil has a nicer flavor.


Another quick recipe:
About 1.5 cups of cashew halves & pieces - finely chopped
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1tsp ginger
Salt & pepper

Mix these ingredients together in a shallow dish.

Crack open 1 egg into another shallow dish, scramble the egg.

Take the chicken breasts (I prefer the breast cutlets, as they're about 1/2 of a chicken breast already) and dip them in the egg- both sides (this helps the crust stick, and is commonly referred to as an egg wash) then dip the chicken in the cashew mix. Place the chicken into a greased (Spray Pam works) dish-preferably glass, as it cooks evenly- and bake the chicken at 350 for about 15 minutes.

As others have mentioned, don't be afraid to experiment in the kitchen. If something doesn't work out, try to figure out why or what would make it better. Cooking is an art.

 

[Frisco]

a tip (dunno if you knew this already):
when you boil eggs, add about 1/2 cup of vinegar to your water. I dunno how it works, but when they're done cooking the egg shells just slide right off...

Good tip! Thank you. I hate pealing boiled eggs.

Question: How do you know how long to boil your eggs? Mine either come out overcooked with green yokes or undercooked and a bit runny.
I can't get the timing down right

 

[bowens]

Grilled chicken/beef/pork/anything.

I agree. Grilling is easy, no clean up. I love grilled pork marinated in soy sauce and brown sugar with a little salt and pepper. That's a good, easy recipe.

 

[mactastic]

oops... double post

 

[mactastic]

Good tip! Thank you. I hate pealing boiled eggs.

Question: How do you know how long to boil your eggs? Mine either come out overcooked with green yokes or undercooked and a bit runny.
I can't get the timing down right

Put your eggs in a pot with cold water to cover them by about an inch. Bring the water to a boil (with the eggs in it) over high heat. As soon as the water reaches a boil, take the pot off the heat, cover it, and set a timer for 15 minutes. Remove eggs from pot to an ice water bath, and soak until cold. This will stop the cooking and help make the shells easier to peel.

Also, if you want some help spotting which eggs are hard-boiled, put a tablespoon of balsalmic vinegar in the water with the eggs. It will dye the shells, making identification easy.

 

[achie25]

The food network is a great way to start. My wife loves that channel. We catch it on Directv Ch. 231 or their website is great as well www.foodnetwork.com

30 minute meals is a good one to start ot practice with.