I’ve decided to learn how to cook.
I know, I know, I’m always sharing recipes and I talk about
how I love to cook. But I’m a recipe
cook. Give me a recipe, and I can make
the dish with the best of them. I know
all the techniques, I know about knife skills, and so on.
But give me 6 ingredients and no recipe? Nope, can’t think of thing to make. Time to do takeout.
Then I read about a cookbook by Tom Colicchio called “Think
Life A Chef.” Basically, while he does
give you recipes, he attempts in this book to teach you not to find a recipe,
and then find the ingredients for it, but to go to the store, see fresh ingredients
and think, “oh, I can take that and make that, and make it with this because
that looks really good today, and I’ll make it by…”
Perfect! Just what I
want to learn.
So this is going to be my “Julie and Julia” moment. I am going to make as many of these dishes as
I can and learn to think like a chef. Or
at least learn to cook…
Now I have some added challenges. First, I have lost 23 pounds this year. And, maybe even more important, I have kept
it off for four months now. I have lost
weight before, but have never been able to keep it off. And I don’t want to start gaining it back. As I looked through the book, Colicchio uses ingredients
that sometimes aren’t considered particularly healthy. So I will need to adapt his recipes to
continue the healthy way I have been eating.
And of course the second challenge is keeping everything
gluten free. I don’t think this will be
as hard as it may have been a few years ago, but still…it will be a challenge.
My goal is to cook something every weekend and work my way
though the book. Of course, life will
get in the way, so I don’t expect to be able to make something every weekend,
but I will try.
And I hope you will join me on this adventure. Should be fun!
I'm excited for you regarding this post & wish you much luck. I think you can do it. :) Keep "us" updated!
ReplyDeleteGood for you and the weight loss---as well as entering the arena of cooking! You can do it. Yes...keep the pounds off by staying both gluten (and GLUTTON) free! :)
ReplyDeleteHe's a rootin'-tootin', cowboy bootin', fresh fruitin', former fig newton, flag salutin', Hugo Boss suitin', hollarin' and hootin', anti-Vlad Putin, King of No Gluten!
ReplyDeleteDo some research into recipes by Graham Kerr (the former "Galloping Gourmet"). Where he was once known for rich foods, heavy sauces, etc. he turned over a new leaf back in the 90's with healthy alternatives to his old favorites. You may be inspired by some of the ingredient substitutions that he utilizes---because he's all about healthy eating, and maximizing flavor. No doubt it will help you with your new cooking endeavor. Good luck with it---and keep us posted on your cooking!
ReplyDelete