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Sunday, September 2, 2012

Thinking Like A Chef - My Journey Starts Today


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!

4 comments:

  1. I'm excited for you regarding this post & wish you much luck. I think you can do it. :) Keep "us" updated!

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  2. Good 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! :)

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  3. He'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!

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  4. Do 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!

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