[chronicles] It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me

[redroanchronicles]

Friends, I come to you today as a neophyte, a humble student, a seeker of knowledge, a person who only recently learned to distinguish between a parsnip and a rutabaga.

There is much work to be done, as you can see.

Part of my Epic Quest for Awesomely Healthy Living (patent pending) is a re-tooling of my diet. To this end, I have tried repeatedly to whittle away at my definitions of "allowed" and "not allowed" sweets, and have finally been forced to conclude that, in order to control my sweet tooth -- which left to its own devices, would eventually destroy Tokyo -- I really need to have a hard and fast rule: no processed sugars. At all. Not even in my tea.

Since my tea was my less-delicious substitute for the delicious sugar-filled soy chai beverages that I decided weren't worth their price (my waistline and $5 a pop), it pains me to limit myself to no sugar in my tea. I am of the opinion that without sugar, tea tastes like warm water. But I am steadfast in my resolve! I am going to kick this thing! I am not going to eat those freaking sugars!

Anyway, I have only come here seeking knowledge (because they would not teach me aaaaall in colllllege). I hoped that you, the people of the Internet, might have recommendations for me of tea flavors or specific brands that, when brewed and consumed with no additional sugar-y deliciousness, actually taste like something. (Teas that taste good sweetened with honey are also allowable. Honey is good, I've just found that it tastes kind of awful in most of the teas I like.) I prefer the spicier teas like chai, ginger, cinnamon, peppermint and whatnot, over the fruity ones, but I'm willing to experiment. (malnpudl, you need not apply. Your favored tea could strip paint, and/or my esophagus. You are clearly made of sterner stuff than I.)

Also, I've been cooking. It would be fair to say that I have been cooking up a storm, in fact. Over the weekend I made chicken curry, parsnip soup and pannekaken with tasty improvised fillings. I felt like a for-real chef. Occasionally. (Except when I was sort of scorching the ginger honey carrots.) They were all delicious and pretty easy, but I have to say that the parsnip soup was my favorite; I think the chicken curry would've been more interesting if I'd been braver with the spices (and not afraid of killing Mal with the spiciness of said spices), but the parsnip soup was just really simple and wholesome and filling. It tasted like autumn.

I'm just curious, for those of you who do cook and who may find my attempts to do so perhaps simultaneously charming and horrifying, what advice would you give to someone who is just beginning to cook and is struggling with all the technique, planning, budgeting and organization that apparently goes into cooking one's own meals? What trick do you wish you'd known when you started? (For me, it is the peel-garlic-by-crushing-it-with-a-knife thing. Time-saver!) What gadget can you not live without? What ingredients do you consider both versatile and indispensable?

Comments

[holyschist]

Kitchen gadgets I can't live without: wok, rice cooker, mini food processor (I'd like a full-sized one, but have neither the space or money--if I did, I'd still keep this one for small quantities). My rice cooker is a mini, too, and pretty good for two people (I think it's a 3.5-cup one?). Rice cooker brand matters: we never used the rice cooker my parents had when I was a kid because it sucked (I recommend Zojirushi). Rice cookers don't work equally well for all types of rice, though, and if I'm adding flavorings, I use a saucepan. Also, a KNIFE SHARPENER. You don't need super-expensive knives (although it is important to have a knife that will hold an edge for a reasonable amount of time, or you'll go nuts), but regular sharpening will save you much frustrating. Cooking with a dull knife--which most people do--is a pain.

Ingredients: garlic and spices are key. Which spices and how many depends a lot on your cooking habits (I, for example, hardly ever use black pepper, which most people consider a staple, but I use cardamom all the time); I'd accumulate them as you need them for specific recipes. I like to have some frozen protein that thaws quickly--shrimp and small salmon or other fish filets are good (if you eat seafood). Coconut milk is good to have around, since it can be used for both Indian and Thai curries as well as soups. Plain yogurt is also very versatile if you eat dairy--by itself or with dried/fresh fruit, nuts, honey for breakfast; as a base for Indian curries; as a base for seafood- or chicken-y pasta sauce. Olive oil and a nut oil or neutral-tasting oil with a high smoke point for stirfry (I like peanut oil, but obvs. that's an allergy problem for many people)--olive oil smokes at too low a heat and has the wrong flavor for stirfry. Ghee if you make Indian food--it really makes a difference (especially for carmelizing onions into crispy brown deliciousness), and can be stored at room temperature indefinitely. Rice (several kinds) and pasta are my main carb staples, but I'm trying to eat quinoa more, because it has more nutrients, more protein, and a different flavor. Eggs are cheap and full of protein.

When I make sauces, if they freeze well (e.g. spaghetti sauce, peanut sauce), I try to make extra and freeze it. I also keep a few jars of good spaghetti sauce to enhance with hamburger, olives, garlic, more herbs, etc. for those times when I don't have time to mess with a zillion cans of different tomato products. Having frozen sauces that can be thawed or even microwaved and dumped on something quick is really helpful!

I put a little vanilla extract in my buttermilk pancakes, and while I usually eat them with jam or honey-based syrup, they are very delicious without.