Can you only cook 4 dishes? Do you eat spag bol twice a week?

newlywed

patchwork_cat wrote: »

I do wonder who they ask. Nobody I know only has 4 dishes in their repertoire.

according to the research commissioned by Loyd Grossman Sauces

Hmm so they asked people that use jars of expensive sauce. Says it all really. They should have asked the people buying eggs, flour, herbs etc.

Plum_Pie

thriftlady wrote: »

I rather suspect that French, Italian and Indian cooks are not bombarded with 'foreign food', that they cook the dishes they grew up with and not an everchanging mish mash of global cuisine. I think it is a shame that our food culture has been swamped by food from other cultures. I love all sorts of food and we have maybe one meal a week that is Indian/Chinese/Italian, but I favour the kinds of dishes Jackie O mentions.

Bit O/T but I've had a Chinese housemate who would frequently mock Chinese takeaways and readymeals sold in the UK but would regularly eat Batchelors instant pasta (the sachets where you just add hot water) and a Kashmiri one (ditto 'indian' food) who would eat instant mash.

I never questioned these 2 people on this point specifcally as I couldn't think of a sensitive way to do it. They both grew up in the UK but with parents who grew up in those 2 countries. I know they eat Chinese/Kashmiri food when with their parents. Maybe they were just being lazy students!!?

Thriftlady, your comments remind me of an expression my father often quotes 'Patriotism is the food of one's childhood'.

pamaris

My repertoire:

Sausage & Mash
Spag Bol
curry (allsorts, chicken)
chilli
fish fingers & chips (on lazy days)
sometimes beans/ pulses
sweet & sour chicken (store bought sauce)
roast dinner
bbq beef sandwiches on wholemeal baps
fish (when fresh and on sale)
pork tenderloin
tortellini & pesto (on lazy days)
egg & chips (on lazy days)
roast lemon/ garlic/ honey chicken thighs (or breasts or wings or whatever)
spaghetti carbonara
pancakes & bacon
Chicken teriyaki
parmesan chicken
coriander/ lime chicken


There are lots more things I can make. The trouble is that I have a short memory and so I get stuck in a rut eating the same things. I just had a idea to keep a food diary to write what I've made, how good it tasted and how easy it was. I'll try that.

showtunesgirl

thriftlady wrote: »

I rather suspect that French, Italian and Indian cooks are not bombarded with 'foreign food', that they cook the dishes they grew up with and not an everchanging mish mash of global cuisine. I think it is a shame that our food culture has been swamped by food from other cultures. I love all sorts of food and we have maybe one meal a week that is Indian/Chinese/Italian, but I favour the kinds of dishes Jackie O mentions.

I would be wary of making generalisatons such as this.

I cook all around the world and try to cook them authentically. I cook Thai, Italian, Greek, British, Indian (and I mean regional Indian cookery such as Kashmiri, Goan etc and not just bog standard general stuff), Chinese and I think that embracing world cuisine is a positive thing to do.

By the way, I'm Chinese and have tested out how authentic my dishes are with my friends from each ethnicity / region of cooking and they have verified that I am doing a good job.

lilmisskitkat

Spag Bol is a fave here so we do eat it quite often, not twice a week though lol. along with Chilli con carne it is my fave 'stand-by' meal so i always have a batch made up in the freezer for lazy days or when we're short on time. Other things i make regularly:

Lasagne
Shepherds/Cowboy Pie
Casseroles (Beef/Chicken/Sausage/Pork)
Sausage and mash/Toad in the Hole
Curry
Stew and Dumplings
Pizza
Stir frys
Baked potatoes with various fillings
Pork loins with mustard and brown sugar, mash and veg
BBQ chicken with potato wedges and salad
Pasta bakes (tuna and sweetcorn, cheese and tomato, cheese and broccoli)

I love to cook and try out new recipes but i do tend to stick mainly to the list above because of my illness i need to be able to cook a meal quickly and easily instead of faffing around with new things.

Kate xxx

pamaris

showtunesgirl wrote: »

I cook Thai, Italian, Greek, British, Indian (and I mean regional Indian cookery such as Kashmiri, Goan etc and not just bog standard general stuff), Chinese and I think that embracing world cuisine is a positive thing to do.

I have tried to do this before. Greek & Italian tend to be straightforward– garlic, olives, olive oil, tomatoes, etc. However when I try to do authentic Thai, Indian or Chinese I end up having to purchase 10 new ingredients for each thing I try! At this point I just tend to buy ready made sauces for these dishes, but try to find ones without artificial ingredients. That said, I do know how to make something Thai inspired, Indian inspired or Chinese inspired, throwing in ingredients specific to those countries.

spendthrift66

what is cowboy pie???

lilmisskitkat

Its a variation on shepherds pie, i posted a recipe in the thread about Inspiration for dinner started by Immoral_Angel

Kate xxx

bunty109

pamaris wrote: »

My repertoire:

Sausage & Mash
Spag Bol
curry (allsorts, chicken)
chilli
fish fingers & chips (on lazy days)
sometimes beans/ pulses
sweet & sour chicken (store bought sauce)
roast dinner
bbq beef sandwiches on wholemeal baps
fish (when fresh and on sale)
pork tenderloin
tortellini & pesto (on lazy days)
egg & chips (on lazy days)
roast lemon/ garlic/ honey chicken thighs (or breasts or wings or whatever)
spaghetti carbonara
pancakes & bacon
Chicken teriyaki
parmesan chicken
coriander/ lime chicken


There are lots more things I can make. The trouble is that I have a short memory and so I get stuck in a rut eating the same things. I just had a idea to keep a food diary to write what I've made, how good it tasted and how easy it was. I'll try that.

The coriander/lime chicken sounds nice!

Ok, well my standard meals are:

Pasta arrabiatta
Toad in the hole
Sausage casserole
chilli con carne
chilli chicken (like con carne but with chicken and peppers)
roast dinner
curried rice with pork mince
spag bol (but we don't eat it often)
lasagne

My problem is I really like minced beef, but try not to eat it more than once a week.

pamaris

bunty109 wrote: »

The coriander/lime chicken sounds nice!

I don't really have a recipe for it; it's just something I threw together. Next time I make it I'll take notes on the quantities. I'll make up a mixture of lime juice, garlic, melted butter and/ or olive oil and lime zest if I bother (heavy on the lime juice). I'll just put a little chopped coriander in this mixture. Then I'll use half the mixture as a marinade for my chicken breasts, reserving the rest. After marinating I'll season the chicken and either bake the or use an electric grill. While it is cooking, I'll saute my reserved mixture on the hob. Then I'll add 1/2 cup of sour cream and stir until smooth. Finally I add a ton of coriander, cook for a couple more minutes and serve. Really it is just a matter of throwing everything together, adding more of what you like and less of what you don't. You can also add red pepper flakes if you like heat.

Here is another super easy, yummy and cheap way to cook chicken:

President's Chicken

1/4 c !!1/2 stick} butter or
-margarine
Juice of 1 lemon
3/4 ts salt
1/2 ts paprika
1/2 ts dried oregano
1/4 ts garlic powder
1/4 ts pepper

4 Chicken breasts

Just melt the butter and mix all the ingredients together. Pour over the chicken and bake. You will be surprised how good it tastes, and how little effort. I turn the chicken halfway to keep it moist. As an alternative to garlic powder, of course you can use minced garlic.

Hope I'm not going too far OT here; just thinking of more things for the repertoire.