Hey everyone! I apologize for the sudden and slow start into your study. I do hope, however, that everyone gets to catch up soon and introduce themselves with each other in the next two days. We will ask you all to check the blog frequently because this will be the place we use to keep in touch and reach our goal of low energy cooking. It is very important as you all are the ones helping and sharing your culture and food with each other through the next three weeks.
For this week (Week 1), you guys are cooking like you normally would and sharing your backgrounds of cooking with each other. Please start planning when you will be cooking so that you can make time to fill in the quick survey (listed as “Meal Info Survey” in the right column).This week is also the phase where you will research for tips and possible methods to use in order to cook with less energy.
In addition to your intros, here are some questions that you guys can talk with each other about in the comment section below.
Where did you learn your cooking methods and tips?
Describe a typical cooking phase. Where do you start? What do you usually do?
How much food do you usually cook/prepare in one round?
Enough just for yourself, or enough for leftovers or for another person?
Enough just for yourself, or enough for leftovers or for another person?
How does your culture influence the way you cook?
What encourages you or discourages you to cook?
The next blog entry will revolve more around simple energy saving tips and will be posted on Wednesday.
We will see you then.
Happy cooking!
~Carmen
Where did you learn your cooking methods and tips?
ReplyDeleteCooking methods are a life long learning experience. My earliest memories are with my mother and grandmother who had very different styles -- my mother the more modern, working woman's agenda of cooking a lot on Sundays and then freezing or refrigerating so that all we had to do was re-heat in microwave during the week.
My grandmother's style was stove top cooking for specific meal (or day) and very traditional Puerto Rican (chicken, rice, beans, viandas (tubers), bacalao (codfish), etc.). In Puerto Rico the typical stove top is electric and when we lived in California the stove top and ovens were gas.
I like to think that my style is a combo of both of theirs.
Describe a typical cooking phase. Where do you start? What do you usually do?
Starting phase would what do I have to cook. Where do I go shopping? Chinatown about once/month for fresh produce; local supermarket (Western Beef or Pioneer) near where I live in the Bronx for basic staples (rice, breakfast foods, beans (both canned and in bags); the corner bodega for milk; Target for cottage cheese and cheese in general; and Little Italy in the Bronx for fresh ravioli and pasta. I probably spend a lot of energy just looking for specials than if I were to just buy everything at one place. But these places are also where I hang out so it all works out.
My standard tool is the gas stove top unless I have veggies and then these are prepared in the microwave, with minimal water (if any) to retain nutrients. If I have to prepare potatoes or tubers, I tend to cut them small for faster cooking.
How much food do you usually cook/prepare in one round?
I live with loved ones so cooking tends to be a family affair, especially dinner when we are together. So, breakfast and lunch are solo experiences but dinner usually has enough for 2-3 persons.
How does your culture influence the way you cook?
A lot; breakfast is not so culturally influenced (I love my cereals) but dinner is. I have rice and beans in one way or another at least 3 times a week. If one way of cooking has been influenced is that white rice is made in the rice cooker now a days but if I am going to make some type of stewed rice (like arroz con gandules (pigeon peas) where you have to make it together for appropriate and delicious flavors) then I go back to the stove top.
What encourages you or discourages you to cook?
My level of energy. Also, what's available - have I had time to go shopping?
wow, Tamara! This is a very detailed insight on your cooking life! I hope the one-pot cooking challenge somehow helps with the convenience of your cooking :)!
ReplyDeleteWhere did you learn your cooking methods and tips?
ReplyDeleteCooking has been a great communal experience for me over the years and I have had fun and been influenced by everyone I have been close to. My mother grew up in Panama and was considered an exotic and experimental cook for the NYC suburbs where we lived. I got the tradition of three square and no soda or junk food from her. I brought my kids up that way but don't care as much in my old age.
My sisters were all good cooks, each with their own style and interests. My odest sister was into formal french cooking and was married to someone who would only eat veggies and shellfish. She came up with great recipes for Thanksgiving like clam pie. My mom cooked lots of gumbo and jumbalaya. I don't know why she loved Creole food.
I was married for 17 years and my former husband was my closest friend for about 13 years before that, so I got to know his whole family well. They always had fun cooking and took it seriously. I learned to make risottos, polenta, and just had lots of fun with them.
I used to love planning meals and would use cookbooks, plan and shop for the week one day a week, usually goig to 3 stores to get what I needed.
Describe a typical cooking phase. Where do you start? What do you usually do?
Well, I am trying to be more conscious about cooking now that I am part of your group. Since I haven't been cooking as much as I used to, I can't say this is typical but here it is....typical for when I do cook. I stop at a store on the way home from work, usually a small one called Falletti's since they have very fresh produce and a good butcher. Yesterday I went to Trader Joe's since I was out in Marin and it is on the way home. I bought all the ingredients I needed to make the recipes I tried - chicken curry and veggie frittata.
I wanted to cook everything for a few days in the oven at the same time so I would have breakfast and dinner for a few days this week. One son lives here but I never know if he will be at home for dinner so I have stopped making dinner for him but like to have leftovers for hi and hopefully for another meal for myself. I am using the oven exclusively for the chicken/potato/cauliflower curry and the frittata but usually cook on top of the stove. I use the microwave to steam veggies.
How does your culture influence the way you cook?
My cooking style is completely a reflection of my culture. It is a combination of practical white girl everyday family style and 30 years of looking at cooking as an art form and an adventure.
What encourages you or discourages you to cook?
I love to cook for people and am less interested in cooking for myself. It can still be fun to cook alone but it takes time and energy so it doesn''t seem as worth it to me.