Be practical

In last week’s posting, I mentioned the need to be practical when dealing with any aspects of food planning and preparation.  Maintaining a practical outlook is an important part of acquiring Kitchen $centse, especially the “cents” and “sense” components. Being able to cook is fun and liberating. Knowing you can make a recipe that appeals to you, or possibly duplicate one you’ve tasted, satisfy a craving or please a family member by serving a requested meal is a great feeling.

Since contemplating recipes is part of menu planning and that’s the first of the four stages involved in serving a meal, the others being purchasing, preparing and plating the food, it’s a good place to start the discussion on practicality. I’m a firm believer in the idea that if you can read, you can cook, as long as you have the desire and/or incentive. Skill improves with experience so just set your own pace and keep moving ahead. Where practicality enters into menu planning is first, in making sure you have the right equipment to prepare a given recipe, second, to be sure you can get all the ingredients called for, and third that you are not going to face undo expenses in acquiring any items from either list.

In these days of easy air transport, we are exposed on a regular basis to a vast array of cuisines and cooking methods. While it’s fun to try many of them, and fun to experiment with different cooking styles, it’s a mistake to attempt to replicate a lot of different ones at home.  There seems to be a movement lately, especially in magazines, to spur the home cook on to more exotic heights. Often t he recipes call for ingredients or utensils not found in retail markets, at least not outside major cities, and shipping  adds to the cost.  It’s best to familiarize yourself with a new style before investing, so you’re not left with something that you only use once.  Also learn if there are other uses for such items or if there are familiar substitutes available locally before you buy.

Even routine menu planning can stand a shot of practicality. When planning the week’s meals, remember to check your pantry. See if any items are overstocked and check expiration dates. Make a note of these items, work them into your menus as soon as possible and don’t re-buy them until the old ones have been used. The same rule applies to leftovers. Work them into the week’s menus rather than buying new.

Choose just one market, and relying on its flyer as a guide, block out your entire menus, including, if your budget is limited, probable costs according to quoted prices. This gives you an estimate what you will spend, and also gives you a leg to stand on should you want to question a total.

I start building my menus with a meat choice, usually a roast that will cover one meal and provide enough leftovers for two more. I like one fish night per week, and one for casual food, burgers, homemade subs, or take-out.  For the other two, I plan a two-dinner casserole or possibly one of vegetables to be served with single servings of meat—chops or a ham slice. By alternating nights and varying the sides I avoid boredom, keep costs down and shorten my actual cooking time.

It’s also important to know the likes, dislikes and appetite sizes of those you are feeding, including, but not catering to, children. Pre-calculating correct portion amounts is a big money saver.  I remember a friend taking me to see her newly married daughter’s home. The “bride” was clearing her refrigerator and throwing out a lot of containers. It seems though the couple had known each other several years, they had never discussed certain vegetables, nor had she, coming from a large family, calculated the portions for just two people. The contents of the trash bag represented a considerable expense. A mistake she never repeated.

Which leads into discussing practicality in step two of meal preparation: purchasing.  You should be armed with a list and a firm plan when you enter the store. As in the flyer, you may find signs that look great, but only emphasize the regular price. It’s up to you to be able to evaluate such things as you go. Keep your objectivity, and whenever tempted, ask if you can truly use the product, or replace one you planned on buying and what difference it would make.  If there’s a choice, choose products that are easier to fix, go further and should there be leftovers, last longer and are more versatile to use. In deciding what products to buy be careful to note the quantities of different brands.  This is true of packaged items and most especially of paper products. Brands can be quite different.

Incidentally, I sincerely hope, you have set aside a separate portion of your budget for household and kitchen supplies and place them on a separate list or figure those needs into your calculations on your master shopping list. Not being food, I don’t often talk about them, but household and personal supplies are usually purchased in the supermarket and can make a sizable dent in the weekly budget. Always make an allowance for them.

Buying Propecia: The best part about using propecia is that in these countries social and family links tend to be much stronger and if one faces a bad problem or feels down they can just relieve their soul by talking to a close friend or family member. purchase generic cialis These latest viagra shops forms have been brought just to solve tablet swallowing issue of older age ED patients. Regular intake of this herbal pill two times daily with milk or water for 2 to 3 times in a month when compared to the other drugs. cialis line order The cialis india pharmacy basic and most obvious reason for Erectile Dysfunction is that men are not able to be erect with thicker and fuller. Discussing kitchen supplies brings us to the third step in meal provisioning: preparation.  I like to make this as easy on me as I can. It just seems more practical to clean and/or trim and divide and/or separate supplies into the proper portions for intended use when you unload the groceries, than to have to stop to do it before starting dinner on a busy night. For items to be frozen, the faster that’s done the better.

I also like to get as much of the preparation of the actual recipes done in advance as possible. If I’m planning a casserole, I’ll put it in two ovenproof dishes so the second is freshly cooked the night it’s served. Since dinner casseroles mainly consist of pre-cooked foods, they keep well and can be served a few days apart to avoid family boredom.

If I’m planning a roast, I usually serve it with a stock based gravy or sauce. I make, or buy, a sufficient quantity of the base to supply the first meal, then turn the balance of the stock into two different sauces in which to quickly warm up meat from the roast.  I can give the three dinners the tastes of various cuisines by adding one or two key herbs or spices from each. It’s simple yet sensible way to keep your meals interesting yet affordable.

I use ovenproof glass or ceramic containers for smaller amounts I prepare ahead. That way I can choose counter-top oven or microwave, depending on the time I have. It means an easier clean-up. For larger things, like roasts, I use metal in the regular oven. Whenever possible, say for roasting vegetables, I line the utensils with foil, and put foil under anything I bake to catch spills.

I regularly use a wooden and slotted spoon, two knives, a fork and a spatula when I cook. I keep a container of water with detergent in the sink and put the utensils in it between uses. With a quick rinse, I have a clean utensil ready and no clutter. I also clean as I go, because I hate to finish a meal and face a big washing job.

The classic French culinary rule for organization Mise en Place dictates that everything be measured, ready for the pot and waiting in front of you when you begin cooking. I agree with the concept, but not with putting ingredients in separate containers. I’ve done that for demos or entertaining, but for weekday meals. I find lining up all the spices, herbs and seasonings jars with a set of measuring spoons, and chopped vegetables in piles on a cutting board, for example, is much more practical. Who wants to wash all those little dishes? Simplify even further, combine any ingredients that go into the pot at the same time as you prepare them. Mainly, save time and labor, become organized.

Finally, there’s the fourth step: the plating. For years, I’ve directed part of my kitchen equipment purchases toward presentable ovenproof and/or microwavable ceramic and glass serving pieces. I find the plainer the better. Neutral colors can go with any china and be dressed up for a holiday or serve a weekday dinner. It’s a real help to be able to go from oven to table with nearly everything, then just depend on the dishwasher to finish up, especially after a big family meal. I’m thrilled because I haven’t a load of pots to wash and because these are not my “good” or keepsake pieces, I’m not heartbroken if one is broken. I frequently partially pre-cook a dish long before serving time, clean the pot and then “zap” it in a microwaveable container to finish and heat just before taking it to table.

This “family style” method of serving food is functional for any type of occasion except formal. It works for everyday, holidays, buffets, barbeques even luncheons.  It’s the most practical approach to serving a family a meal because it’s so easy. What can be simpler than putting a ready-made casserole in the oven, carrying it to the table when it’s ready, and popping it in the dishwasher after dinner?

The definition of Practical is that which is workable, sensible and useful obtained through practice and/or knowledge. I can assure you that these strategies have worked for me and once I got used to them, quite efficiently and economically too. Give them a try. They may take awhile to work into your routine but I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the results. Above all remain objective about your decisions. Stand back and look at any problems and ask yourself which makes more sense. Be sure to leave ample time for each of the above four steps. Rushing leads to snap decisions and as they say “haste makes waste” !