My Philosophy on Cooking

I believe that everyday cooking should be healthy, quick, colourful and extremely tasty.  And that doesn’t mean buying ready-made meals.  I cook pretty much everything from scratch, but I rarely spend more than half an hour to prepare meals.

Some people prepare their meals the week before and shop accordingly.  Some people use recipe books and shop accordingly.  I used to do that, but not any more.  Although I love food and cooking, I’m not willing to spend that much effort, money and time on cooking.  I look in my fridge and cook with what I’ve got.

I like to eat organic food, that has been grown locally and is in season.  It’s good for the soil, my body and my purse.

I have a box of organic fruit and veg every week, and along with my store cupboard basics ingredients, I can usually rustle up something edible.  This kind of cooking also means you can take advantage of what’s on offer at the shops, particularly for expensive items like meat or fish.

I taught myself to cook by following recipes, and I do have many years’ experience.  But I think it’s much more useful (and fun) to learn the basic principles, get the general idea, and then play around with ingredients, much like I described in the soda bread recipe.  Working backwards if you like.

Actually, this philosophy applies to much of life.  When you want, need or desire something, get into the habit of looking at what you have already, whether it be ingredients, belongings, looks, talents or even friends, and make the most out of that, before you start looking elsewhere to acquire new stuff.  This is what I call simple and creative living.  It might not always work, but I always try it first.  Because starting from scratch always requires a lot more time, money, effort and resources, and eventually becomes a drag. 

Starting with what you have forces you to get creative and you will build skills that lead you to true independence.

Perhaps you are snowed in at the moment.  Aren’t you glad you know how to make a meal out of what’s left in your cupboard, instead of having to find a way of getting to the supermarket?