BOOK SERIES LILLY LIKES TO COOK (Ages 8-14) FIGHT SUMMER BLAAS (GET THE FIRST FREE AND SEE)

The Lilly Likes to Cook books trace their roots back to when my daughters were young. Each reflects a specific experience in cooking with children but combining them in a series was inspired by the realization that kids start anticipating summer before the buds open and zoom into activity the second the school doors close. However, things change as programs end or become routine, then boredom sets in.

One year, when my younger daughter was in grade school, our swim club teams’ regional meets ended in July and empty Saturdays loomed ahead. The first one, I was baking a cake and found I had an audience, four boys and two girls begging to help. During the week, I was casually asked if I’d be baking again on Saturday, and ‘my crew’ showed up as if summoned that morning. So began, always seemingly impromptu, ‘Cake Saturdays’ . Flavor was never discussed but the pan options were vital, bunt, sheet, tube or layers and the choice of shape was a major topic in judging the finished product, which disappeared magically after the verdict.

The experience sowed the seeds for the Lilly Likes to Cook series because it taught me a lot about dealing with bored children. The casual and spontaneous plan is often better than the elaborate and expensive one. A distraction works best when it involves creating or perfecting something within a short time-frame, with a welcome reward at the end. Above all avoid repetition. Even if just baking cakes, make each a bit different to keep interest alive.

I also learned these tactics fostered bonding and enhanced friendships. The action and then the memory of having worked together to create something which gave a sense of mutual satisfaction to be shared and enjoyed, was incredibly unifying and enduring. And these ploys aren’t limited to the young. They work with people of all ages anywhere, anytime, even on vacations.

The ‘Cake Saturday’ diversion for boredom was a god-send and the increased bonding a bonus outcome, but over the years, I’ve had a lot more experience cooking with children and I‘ve come to understand that cooking is a natural project for both these purposes. It only requires equipment found in most homes. The time-frame is dictated by the choice of recipe, usually only a couple hours at most. The rewards are immediate, known, eagerly anticipated and easily shared–no arguments over custody of the finished product. Plus learning some kitchen skills always comes in handy.

A few years ago, actually two years in a row, a neighbor’s children asked my help with their Mother’s Day plans. I’ve detailed the episodes in No Stress Recipes for Mother’s Day and Can I help?. Working with those children reminded me of how fun and rewarding it is to watch kids interest and confidence grow as they realize there were tasks they can do and more difficult ones they could master. Seeing their pride and pleasure at the prepared dish is priceless. That’s when I started writing the Lilly Likes to Cook series.

Although there’s room for assistance in most recipes, choosing one to share with a child narrows the field and depends, above all, on the age and abilities of the child in question. It should be something liked, difficult enough to be interesting, but simple enough to fit in a limited time-frame. Desserts are popular choices because they fit these requirements, but also because they’re not pivotal to a menu. If the dish is a flop, it can be remade or replaced but, most importantly, desserts can be easily shared, giving a child the opportunity to show off a bit and receive praise.

However, children aren’t long satisfied with only making desserts, especially if it’s an ongoing partnership. They will want to move on to more important menu items and adult pleasing dishes, which fit the requirements, don’t always leap to mind.

My motives in writing the Lilly Likes to Cook series of books were first, my desire to help those coping with kids suffering from ‘the bored blaas’ due to weather, minor illnesses, or empty schedules. Second, I wanted to share what I have found to be an excellent method of getting children to bond both with each other and with adults. Third, I hoped to ease things by offering a selection of tested recipes suitable for the purpose.

I’ve put the recipes into loosely woven story lines which give the books continuity as well as illustrating possible presentations or functions for the finished dishes, so the selection of recipe can fit the situation. They also break down the preparation tasks giving detailed directions, according to age and experience, without being too obvious. The books are digital, available on Kindle and this web site for far less than a cup of coffee. (Book 1 is free onsite-Prices are slightly higher on Kindle)

Lilly is a girl of 8, living in a suburban town with her parents, sister 13 and brother 10, but she could be in a city, on a farm, anywhere. I choose age 8 because 3rd grade is a break-out time. Schools introduce changing classrooms per subject and seasonal sports with regular teams. Social organizations like Scouts and 4-H are encouraged and hobbies are explored to discover special interests or talents.

I usually include Lilly’s sister in her undertakings which widens the age appeal. Her brother, though disinterested himself, has a best friend who is, which introduces a unisex attraction, so most bases are covered. I allow Lilly to develop cooking onto a hobby for the sake of creating a series and because that’s where my experience lies but the books are sold separately and the recipes can be selected according to specific need. They’re also sold in groups of 3, for kids who show an interest or adults who may need them more often.

Lilly first becomes interested in cooking watching her mother transform a cake disaster into a different, beautiful dessert. The creativity and the appearance intrigue her and she wants to make other pretty, tasty things. Then, gradually, she learns the dishes she cooks can serve other uses than filling her spare time. The things she makes can be used for gifts, rewards, fund raisers and more and the process can be shared with others forming friendships, helping out and simply brightening someone’s day. In short, a creative activity, whether it’s a time- filler or becomes a hobby, can teach a lot of life’s lessons.

Resume of the Lilly Likes to Cook books, recipes and utensils needed:

All quantities are in easily divided or multiplied amounts, including the meatball and sauce recipes which are stated as needed for a large event.

Book 1) Making a Cake for Molly:

Lilly’s sister helps her make a cake for her doll’s birthday but it’s a disaster. Mother transforms the flop into a dessert which becomes a family ‘company’ favorite a molded ice cream cake–Spoons only. Recipe free on site.

Book 2) Cookies for an Uncle Overseas:

Lilly makes cookies as a treat for an uncle in the military. Chocolate-Coconut Macaroons— Spoons, can opener, brief microwaving and baking $1.99

Book 3) Lilly Makes Meringues:

Lilly helps her sister make meringues from their mother’s recipe as an assignment for geography. Spoons, beaters, baking $1.99

Book 4) The Meatball Booth:

Mother is in charge of the booth at the School Fair and needs all the help she can get to prepare the meatballs.  To Lilly’s surprise friend of her brother’s offers to help. Knives, spoons, processer and baking $1.99

Book 5) The Luncheon:

Lilly’s mother is busy at work, so Lilly offers to have luncheon ready, with her sister’s help, when their grandmother arrives. Tuscan Tuna-Bean Salad–Can opener and spoons $1.99

Book 6) Dinner for Two:

Lilly’s sister wants permission to begin babysitting. The girls are thrilled when their parents agree to allow them to make dinner and stay alone for an evening. Hot Dog Potato-Vegetable Hot Pot–Spoons, optional knife, baking $1.99

Book 7) Kabobs Are Fun and Easy:

Lilly’s parents are throwing a big cook-out for visiting relatives and everyone pitches in to help prepare Shrimp and Beef Vegetable Kabobs for the grill. Knives, skewers $2.99

Book 8) Girl Scouts Get a Zebra Cake:

Lilly makes a cake ahead, as a reward for her troop members after a day working on crafts to sell at the Town Fair for Charity. Craft directions included. Cake-butter knives; Craft-scissors, pins, rulers and chalk $3.99

Book 9)* Brian’s Birthday:

Lilly helps prepare her brother’s birthday dinner for Brian and his soccer team mates. Slow cooker pulled pork heroes plus a variation on the recipe in Book 1.-Spoons, forks, knife,
* To be available soon

HERBS-A GLOSSARY

Herbs have a history with man nearly as old as that of fire. It’s believed that soon after man learned to cook meat, he discovered that encasing it in fresh soft greens prevented it from burning and being covered in ashes from the coals. Greens=flavoring=better taste and the rest is, well, history. The fact that most herbs have or are reputed to have medicinal value may have been realized as a result.

But what exactly is an herb? Well, by definition: 1) a seed-producing annual, biennial, or perennial that does not develop persistent woody tissue but dies down at the end of a growing season. 2) a plant or plant part valued for its medicinal, savory, or aromatic qualities.

In common terminology: Herbs are plants with fragrant or aromatic properties, used to flavor food, included in fragrances, and even a part of natural medicines. The herb is the green or leafy part of the plant. In the case of basil, the leaves can be quite large, whereas rosemary leaves are more like spines of an evergreen plant and dill has fern-like fronds.

The essential difference between herbs and spices depends on which part of the plant they originate. An herb is a leaf or other green part of the plant. All other elements of the plant are considered to be spice—including dried bark, roots, berries, seeds, twigs, or other plant matter used to season or flavor food.  Some plants, like dill and cilantro provide both.  Also spices are always in dried form while herbs can be used either fresh or dried.

The fact that herbs are, by definition, a fresh green, tied growing them to geographic and climatic locations and hence, their connections with specific cuisines. For centuries, drying herbs allowed them to travel globally as people migrated. However, now, rapid food transport and modern cultivation facilities makes fresh herbs globally available all year opening the door to embracing different cuisines and even creating new ‘fusion’ or combined  ones.

The culinary world divides herbs into two groups Fine and Robust.  Fine herbs mix well with others and become milder and/or bitter when cooked, so are often added at the end of cooking. They are excellent eaten raw or in salads-examples are basil, chervil, thyme and rosemary. Robust herbs like mint, dill, savory and sage are full bodied, rich in flavor and are often used alone. They stand up in dishes that are cooked, chilled and/or stored. Generally though, herbs are best when fine and robust are blended to give counterbalance to the flavor of the dish.

When cooking with herbs, there is a general rule of thumb to keep in mind regarding the ratio of fresh to dry: Because dried herbs are often more potent and concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less. That means the correct ratio is one tablespoon of fresh herbs to one teaspoon of dried herbs.

Herbs are easy to grow and wonderful to have fresh on hand, so if you decide to grow your own, as I do, or find a windfall in your produce department and want to preserve some, I suggest you go to :

https://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/flowers-and-plants/herbs/how-to-preserve-your-garden-herbs 3  There are air dryers and microwave methods to do this but the 3 tried and true ways to preserve herbs are by hanging, oven drying and freezing. This article covers all three clearly.

HERBS

BASIL
Widely gown, basil is traditionally used on tomatoes, both cooked and raw and is a staple of Italian cuisine.  The leaves and tender green stems give a sweet and mildly pungent flavor to many foods, salads, lamb chops, cheese dishes and vegetables, especially peas and green beans.

CHERVIL
Globally grown, chervil has a mild parsley-like flavor. It’s most generally used sprinkled on top of cream soups, salads, egg dishes and fish. However, with fish, it’s best finely chopped and added just before cooking is finished.

CHIVES
Related to onions but with a more delicate taste, chives are a favorite garnish on many dishes. Mixed with melted butter and lemon juice, they’re a finish for boiled or steamed vegetables, especially potatoes. Chopped and mixed with cheese, they become a spread and are a welcome addition to many salads and most particularly dishes with cottage cheese.

CILANTRO
Cilantro is a versatile, uniquely flavored herb from the fresh leaves of the coriander plant, a member of the parsley family, which is essential in many Mexican, Middle Eastern, Indian, and Asian recipes. It is almost always used fresh because it doesn’t dry well. The leaves look much like flat-leaf parsley, growing on long, tender stems. The seeds of the plant are used as a spice called coriander, which has a completely different flavor from cilantro. 

DILL
Best known as a flavoring for pickles, dill is also good sprinkled on potatoes, in Cole slaw and cheese dishes like macaroni. It makes a fine flavoring for sauces on many fish, specially halibut, mackerel and salmon. T leaves are used as an herb, while the seeds are considered a spice with a faint caraway tang.

LAVENDAR
French lavender is frequently included in the herb blend ‘herbes de provence’, giving it a subtle floral flavor. As a rule, lavender can be used similarly to fresh rosemary, in recipes like meat marinades and baked breads. Lavender flowers also make a beautiful garnish for salads, desserts, and more.

LEMON BALM
Lemon balm is a lemon-scented herb that comes from the same family as mint. The herb is native to Europe, North Africa, and West Asia, but it’s grown around the world. The leaves are great for cooking. Use lemon balm in place of lemon peel in recipes and to flavor soups, sauces, vinegars and seafood. Or add it to your favorite sugar cookie dough for a delicious lemony tea cookie.

MARJORAM
A very versatile herb, marjoram is a member of the mint family. It’s aromatic and a slightly bitter flavor is a favorite of European cuisines. It’s excellent on lamb, in cheese dishes, poultry stuffings, beef stews and/or mushroom casseroles, soups and vegetables.

MINT
Originally from Europe and Asia, mint is a staple with lamb in sauces and jelly. It also provides a bright flavor spark in Indian dishes, salads and cold vegetable mixtures. It’s sweet, strong, tangy and cool taste had earned it an unusual place for an herb, in sweets, candy, ice cream, the  liqueur crème de minthe and drinks such as the Mint Julep.

OREGANO
Closely related to marjoram, oregano has a similar flavor, strong, aromatic, pleasantly bitter. It’s a staple ingredient in Italian cuisine, especially in sauces, in omelets, other egg dishes and salads. Gourmets use it with pork and Mexican cuisine pairs it with chicken.

PARSLEY
Parsley is one of the most versatile herbs used in Middle Eastern and Continental cuisines. Commonly used as a garnish, but more popularly used as a spice, there are two main varieties of parsley: curly leaf and flat leaf. Curly leaf is often used as a garnish but both varieties are widely used in cooking. Because of its light scent and fresh taste, parsley can be used in anything from soups to sauces to salads.  As a garnish, parsley can be chopped and sprinkled in soups, vegetable dishes, or mixed with ground meat, such as lamb, beef and poultry.

ROSEMARY
Rosemary is the leaf of an evergreen shrub shaped like a curved pine needle. It has a fresh, sweet flavor which is better fresh than dried.I’s a favorite with roast beef, but is excellent with all meat dishes, amb, poultry, pork and fish.

SAVORY
A member of the mint family, savory has tiny leaves which, dried, have a warm, aromatic flavor and make an excellent sauce for vegetables, especially green beans. It can be used alone or mixed with other herbs to flavor meats and meat stuffings, chicken, eggs, salads and sauces.

SAGE

A popular herb in the U.S., sage is fragrant and a little bitter, it’s commonly used in poultry stuffings, especially recipes using giblets. Excellent with duck, sage is also good with pork, baked fish and in sauces.

TARRAGON
With a faintly anise-like flavor, tarragon is best known for flavoring vinegar for which both the dried leaves and the flowers can be used. It’s excellent on seafood, especially lobster and shrimp and good sprinkled on broiled chicken as it finishes. Fresh leaves are featured in several Italian entrees.

THYME
Thyme is aromatic, pungent and goes well with poultry sauces and stuffings, tomatoes and sauced beef dishes. It’s excellent with fish and shellfish soups and stews like chowders and gumbos and is good sprinkled in the cooking water for boiled lobster.

TWO VEGETABLES USED AS HERBS

FENNEL
Fennel is a member of the carrot family, though it’s not a root vegetable. The base of its long stalks weave together to form a thick, crisp bulb that grows above ground. Above the bulb, at the tip of the stalks, it has light, feathery leaves that resemble dill. When it goes to seed, fennel also produces small yellow flowers among the leaves. Every part of it is edible, from the bulb to the flowers, and it can be eaten raw or cooked. Though the stalks and leaves are edible, fennel recipes most often call for the bulb. When raw, it has a crisp texture similar to celery and a fresh licorice flavor. It caramelizes as it cooks, taking on a sweeter flavor and tender, melt-in-your mouth texture.

GARLIC
Garlic is most often used as a flavoring agent in all cuisines but can also be eaten as a vegetable. It is used to flavor many foods, such as salad dressings, vinaigrettes, marinades, sauces, vegetables, meats, soups, and stews. It is often used to make garlic butter and garlic toast.

EASILY CONTROL FOOD SPENDING

To paraphrase an old saying, if you can’t beat it, find a way to deal with it. That’s what How to Control Food Bills offers, a way to manage food costs. When I first opened my personal chef service Suddenly Supper, I realized I had to be able to offer unlimited recipes, quote reasonable prices, guarantee quality, buy retail and still meet my bottom line-not easy !  I needed an efficient system to reach my goals and after trial and error I devised a plan that worked for the business and proved to be equally efficient for my personal needs. I call my plan The Diet for the Food Dollar and to test it, I shared it with friends who’ve had equal success for several years now. It will work for you through the years ahead.

How to Control Food Bills is NOT about tweaking, clipping coupons, chasing sales or finding discount markets. This is a system, based on organized planning and informed shopping, which teaches how to cope with consistently rising food costs. The estimated price hike for the foreseeable future, is at least the 5%-7% annually as it has been for the last decade plus.

Translated, that means that in 10 yrs. your food expenses will be 50%-70% more. This is a significantly large chunk out of household income, making controlling spending increasingly important because without oversight your menu standards and nutritional wellbeing can suffer. And be assured, the cost of food is going to continue to go up.

The reason for this expected price hike is that over the past thirty years, the U.S. Government has ceded control of the nation’s food supply to ‘private interests’, actually international conglomerates. Whereas a government has to consider the welfare of its citizens, corporations are interested in profit. The international aspect means that the fluctuations of one nation’s economy won’t affect the overall pricing. A product can always be sold elsewhere. You may remember food prices went up in 2008. Anyone wondering how this situation came about, see below.*

The plan is quite easy; just 3 steps of behavioral management which experts claim can become habit in three weeks. For me it took less. With all the shopping I had to do, it proved to be a welcome time-saver. I’m including a summary of each step below. Of course the full versions are detailed, with advice, tips, incentives, and ways to personalize them to your specific needs but these ’Cliff Notes’ convey the general principles.

The book also has over 100 pages of charts, diagrams and graphs full of great information– not just pan sizes, times and temperatures with conversions, but a lot more. There’s buying information on all meats, poultry and seafood, locations of the different cuts and how to choose and use them, carving directions, descriptions of cheeses, oils and herbs a complete listing of ingredient substitutions and much, much more. These pages are a valuable kitchen tool in themselves.

It’s important today but going to be increasingly more so, to know where your food money is going and catch any ‘leaks’ or excesses. Organization is the best way to solve that problem. It’s also important, and more convenient to be an informed food shopper. Know what to buy, where to get it, how much and, here’s an often overlooked factor, when to buy an item. Stockpiling is expensive and wasteful but being able to gauge the market is a huge asset. The 3 steps of the plan, summarized below, teach how to control food expenses and deal with prices through organization and knowledge. 

Veterans of the plan report that it repaid its $8.99 price well before the 3-week habit-forming deadline and really works long-term for them, as it will for you. So eliminate the stress, avoid register shock and make meal planning and food shopping permanently a walk in the park….

DIET FOR THE FOOD DOLLAR BASIC STEPS

1) Be Decisive:

Don’t hesitate, press “Go” As with any diet, the first step is to set a realistic, obtainable, initial goal. Once there, you may want to continue, but start by calculating how much your food budget can be slimmed down and still remain nutritious. Whether you do this by percentage, fraction or dollars and cents doesn’t matter, just get a firm concept. I prefer to figure by month because it provides an overview. A week may represent specialized buying, whereas a month probably represents purchases from every department in the supermarket, all of which usually fall into the “Grocery Shopping” category.

Then, do as you would with any diet; decide which areas are the target ones. The quick answer is snacks and desserts, and though they may contribute, and cutting down on them could help the food budget and have great side effects; they are not the whole answer . Take a look in your pantry, cabinets and refrigerator. Examine expiration dates. What sits on the shelf? What do you most frequently have to throw out? What was bought and never used? What is duplicated? What name brands can be automatically be replaced by generics? 

The answers will show you the initial steps to changing your shopping habits. I had a neighbor who always complained about her “food” bills. It turned out she couldn’t resist sales on cleaning products. She could have sterilized a huge hotel with what she’d stockpiled! For me, it was a weakness for flavored seltzer water. The point is, as soon as I began to buy just what was needed and switched to the generic brand, my register total was less, and I felt a sense of accomplishment. It encouraged me.

2) Be Determined:

Once you have a goal in mind, and an idea of how to carve the path to get there, it’s going to take resolve to turn that path into a paved highway. There will be pitfalls along the way and to help you stay on the road, some “tools” may come in handy. One is reminding yourself of the above mentioned sense of satisfaction from realizing you got everything you need and spent less than you contemplated. 

Another is cultivating a warning voice (my “Just say no!”) that stops you before you buy impulsively, and becomes as habitual as telling you to look both ways before crossing the street. Behaviorists say that a habit is formed in three weeks, and becomes ingrained in six months .So it isn’t that hard to do! Also, I find when I am tempted to buy something not on my list; it helps to continue my shopping. If that item is still on my mind when I’m ready to leave, I go back and look again. If I can fit it into my meal planning before its expiration date, or in the next two weeks, and its cost won’t make me feel guilty when I get home, I may buy it. If it’s a non-perishable, I make a note to find a use for it soon, and buy then. All this pondering alone is often enough to discourage the sale.

Which brings me to the best tool of all: The List. I always compile meticulous, detailed lists when planning and shopping for others, but my own approach to meal planning was whimsical. I headed for the market with the most alluring ads that week and let my senses take over. I operated on impulse, drawn to attractive produce, a special piece of meat, a new product, an ingredient I’d wanted to try. I outlined the week’s menus as I went and filled in the details with visits to other markets the following days. I over bought, under used and by the week’s end was suffering severe register shock. So I began to apply my professional approach to shopping to my personal life and started to menu plan. 

More on the mechanics of doing this later, but once a weekly menu is set, it’s easy to list the ingredients, simplest done by categories—meat, dairy etc.–check them against your current supplies; eliminate the ones you have and Voilà! Your list is done. The extra time it takes to compile a list is equal to the reduced time spent in the market, but don’t allow yourself to linger there . Get in –Get out!

3) Be Disciplined:

In any diet this is the hardest step to follow because it requires ongoing effort, but the best paved road won’t get you into town if you keep taking scenic detours. You are decisive and determined; all that’s needed is willpower. Above all, stick to the list! It’s hard, and takes practice, to grow virtual blinders to temptation. A big incentive is to remind yourself of why you started the diet, and how satisfying it will be to reach your goal. 

In addition to using the tools mentioned above, I find putting things in perspective helps. Unless it’s a special event, ask yourself if you’re going to remember what you ate on a day, or even in that week, two weeks later. (The answer to that question may turn you off menu planning altogether! It’s a big “No”.) I realized my impulsive buys to perk up a night’s meal made a bigger impression on the budget than the memory .BUT if I selected just one of those WOW buys, or maybe even two, if I could combine them, and they fit the budget, and prepared them in such a way as to create a special seeming dinner, my family appreciated it and I felt great! If living alone, it’s a way to treat yourself, or to entertain a friend.

Diversification and innovation also help, especially if the budget isn’t ‘splurge friendly’. When you feel the urge to tweak a week’s menus, explore new cuisines, or different ways to cook, using seasonings, or making sauces from ingredients you already have, or ones that you can inexpensively add that will serve you well in the future. Concentrating on a recipe stops the gaze from wandering over the market shelves too.

I’ve heard it said that anything can be accomplished with the right plan. Well, if you want to have control over food expenses, avoid stress and eliminate register shock forever, The Diet for the Food Dollar Plan is for you! Find it here on this site’s books/products page or on Kindle.

*The story is simple . When a very efficient exfoliant was developed during the Vietnam era, its commercial value was apparent but crops had to be created which were impervious. Prior to that time agricultural experimentation in the U.S. had been done in colleges and universities under federal grants, which made any results government property. However, private labs became involved in this project, with greater funding and developed a ‘super’ soy bean seed.

In the early ‘80s history was made when the first U.S. patent for a living organism was issued, not for the seed, but for the process which created it. After that, the process could be freely applied to other plants, corn, wheat etc. Naturally, the holder of the patent controlled the seed and consequently controlled the price of the crop.

Now this process, in some form, has been applied to the seeds of most produce plants making them GMOs. Included is fodder for our livestock which takes the axiom from above one step further. The one who controls the feed crops controls the husbandry industry and the prices on meat and dairy.

If you have any doubts about the global scope of the situation, the next time you’re in a supermarket, take note of the origins especially of the produce and seafood items, fresh, frozen and canned. You’ll understand why it can‘t or won’t be altered for many years, if ever.

CHEFS’ TIPS FOR 2020 COOKING

Let’s face it, quarantine may be lifted, but as long as social distancing persists, food shopping is an increasingly time consuming chore. The trend is growing to shop for longer periods. I spoke with the mother of toddler triplets recently, a lawyer, who has shopping down to once a month. It takes a day, but that’s better than 4 half-days. However, she admits it took some time and self-training to work it out.

The sub title of this blog is Kitchen $centse and its motto is ‘Creating wonderful; scents, while saving cents by using sense.’ The first statement is the goal of every cooking blog. I truly believe the second is best achieved by following the 3 steps in my proven Diet for the Food Dollar plan as outlined in the book How to Control Food Bills. The third, using good, common sense,’ kitchen sense’ applies to all culinary endeavors from menu planning, as illustrated in Dinners With Joy, (See December 20, 2018), to how to shop as discussed in connection with controlling food bills, to how and what to choose as defined in Food Facts for Millennials (See May 23, 2019) and ,of course, how to handle the food once it’s home.

This includes storing and preserving food, mainly nowadays by freezing( see posts Sept.13, 2018 and Sept. 20, 2018), learning efficient ways to use your appliances, finding short cuts to working with food ( posts July 9, 2012, June 16, 2019) and profiting by your experiences as well as being willing to listen to the advice of others.

Evidently Bon Appetit magazine also feels strongly about this. Their September issue features an article titled Quarantine Kitchen. They recognized most food professionals have to content themselves, for the duration, with cooking for just their families, in their homes, using products they, personally, had to shop for in local markets and pay for out of pocket. It’s been a unique situation and the magazine seized the opportunity to canvas many of these people as to what they had learned and asked them to share any insights.

The responses surprised me in two ways; they were distinctly ‘uncheffy’, tailored for home cooks and I felt quite proud because I have been using, as well as preaching many of them in this blog, for years. The article is worth a read, but I do want to discuss a few of the more valuable pieces of advice here.

Paramount is getting food safely stored as soon as possible to prevent aging. Freezing is the fastest way to do this and the best way to preserve freshness.

1) Ground meat needs special attention because it has more surface areas which spoil quicker than a single piece. The article recommends always having a 1 lb. package on hand. I advise freezing it in 4 portions which allows for individual servings and/or divided use.

A) Try ground pork, lamb, and sausage as well as beef and poultry, opening a variety of recipe options
B) When buying Valu-Packs, I use 1 b. to make and bake tiny meatballs. Stored bagged, they can be added frozen to a sauce or quickly microwaved and served with a dipping sauce.
2) Freezing produce is covered in the links provided above but one chef advised an old Italian trick for freezing leafy vegetables. Italians are focused on seasonal vegetables. Living there, I loved the freshness but as an American, missed non-seasonal options. Then I noticed the green goods grocer sold tennis-sized balls of trimmed, blanched, drained spinach and kale which I could wrap and freeze. Problem solved! It’s simple to do at home and great way to deal with leafy vegetables on sale or in valu-packs.
A) Potatoes are too watery to freeze well domestically unless mashed but I often opt for the 10 lb. bag. Separate the ones of suitable size for baking. Bake and stuff but hold the second baking. Wrap, freeze and bag them, then simply garnish and bake for a quick, elegant side. Do not microwave-they don’t crisp.
3) Grains freeze well and the chefs advice cooking and bagging extra to have on hand.
Fresh Produce in the refrigerator is still subject to the FIFO law-First in=first out but there are exceptions.
1) A head of cabbage will last longer than a bunch of fresh herbs, apples longer than pears. So check often and use good sense.
A) Get to know the more durable produce. Cabbage for example can do so much more than most people realize, steaks, stir-fries, grilled sides. Fennel is delicious both raw and cooked.
2) Don’t simply discard. If the herbs are wilted, blanch and puree them. Make into a pesto or freeze in ice trays and bag the cubes to use as flavorings. 1 cube=2 Tbs. Most of the people who reported this side effect also best viagra pills had dibetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes in a group of more than 4,500 men. You also save travel expenses by getting online medical help. viagra pills price The muscle pains felt will be removed with the therapy sessions are performed because of muscle injuries acquired and treatment recommended by the doctor. viagra canada pharmacies http://cute-n-tiny.com/category/cute-animals/page/22/ Try not to give the name a chance to cialis canada cheap trick you: CFS is significantly more than just being fatigued. Pears and other fruits can be used in baked goods or cooked pureed and frozen as can vegetables. They are good sauce bases and don’t forget any vegetable can make pesto.
3) The best way to extend the life of fresh vegetables, beans, snow peas, celery stalks and especially those with roots, carrots, radishes, scallions, is to store them immersed in water not in the crisper.

Dated refrigerated products are also subject to FIFO, but that too has changed. Chefs used to be all about pitching anything over date, now they advise caution and testing. The white coating on the Parmesan can be ground in and the cheese frozen. A crust forming on sour cream merits inspection. Perhaps it can be scraped off, the remaining cream repackaged for quick use.

1) The best tools to determine spoilage are your nose, and dipping a finger-tip in for a small taste. If these tests say O.K.-go with it.
2) Have a few recipes to use ‘iffy’ products handy, rather than letting them expire while you seek ways to use them.

Find a multi-purpose sauce to perk up dishes and other sauces which suits your cooking style and tastes. It may be based on tomatoes, peppers, anchovies, there’s even a good, hot eggplant one. Just be sure your family likes it and it can be added to or passed with recipes to give them a bit of ‘newnesss’.

Beans are indigenous to every cuisine and always there to provide an economic, flavorful, satisfying meal but, news flash, they should always be cooked in a broth flavored to fit the finished dish.

1) People claim beans take too much time but no longer. Instant Pots and Slow Cookers changed that but the stove top method has changed too.
A) No long soaking required. Rinse the beans and simmer them in the flavored fluid of choice. It will take 2 or more hrs. depending on the type bean. So take that zoom meeting, cook it after dinner or on the weekend. Beans are better the next day.

2) If you want a quicker method, first hard boil the beans in their liquid for 6-10 min., depending on size of bean, turn off heat and allow to sit covered for about 30 min. to expand them. Return to a boil, then simmer for 30-45 min. more-continue with prepping the finished dish.

It’s important to know your appliances, utensils, and to take advantage of cooking tips especially how to make objects multi-task.

1) Put the roast on the second to the bottom shelf and a sheet of vegetables on the bottom shelf. It’s a lower temperature for the veggies, but they make it up in time. Put any vegetable side dishes or bake potatoes next to the meat pan.
2) Once an oven or other appliance is ready, don’t turn it off after one task. Bake that cake. Boiling a vegetable? Throw in a couple of eggs for eating during the week. Use the hot burner to sauté another vegetable or toast nuts.
3) To avoid being burned when checking the temperature of the contents of a pot while cooking, put the stem of an instant read thermometer through the openings in a slotted spoon, and lower it until you can get an accurate reading.
A) Use corn holders to secure round objects like tomatoes, onions and lemons, for slicing
B) Chopsticks are handy in the kitchen to remove food from the toaster, to rearrange food on a platter or roasting vegetables and to easily pit cherries, cut a small “X” in the bottom. Remove the stem, insert the narrow end of the chopstick and push the pit out.
C) To quickly chop nuts, put them in a plastic bag and pound then with the bottom of a can.
D) To coarsely chop herbs, place them in a glass and snip with a scissors.
One of my favorite suggestions: If at all possible, grow your own herbs. I grow them in pots and in the fall, I either bring them in (several last well in a heated house and a sunny kitchen) or I lightly chop them and freeze them in ice trays with a bit of oil and water and use as described above. I love having fresh herbs available and it’s a budget saving too.

However, my favorite suggestion of all is ‘Give a kid a wok’ I have long advocated cooking with kids and written books on the subject. Children love creating, especially when their efforts yield fast delicious rewards and learn quickly. Cooking with them is an excellent bonding tool and teaches them useful life skills.

A) Go further and get the whole family involved. If you can’t enjoy dinner together in your favorite restaurant, bring the desire for companionship into your kitchen. Get everyone together to help make meals, or at least to record the effort for fun. Sharing the work, the rewards and the memories can be priceless connections. Don’t miss this opportunity. For recipes modified to make this a happy experience for all, especially novices see the May 28, 2020 posting on my book Can I help?