Help... It's time for change!!!

Mint1955 · 4 November 2014 at 8:09AM

Never have I been one to be able to open the fridge and produce a fantastic meal from odds and ends.

Meals have to be scripted or old favourites as I don't go 'off piste' either.

My dilemma?

I am moving abroad where jars, packets, frozen staples etc are either non existent or very expensive. Veg, fruits and salads are basics with not a lot of variation throughout the year.

So at the ripe old age of 58 I need to learn to cook from scratch and with limited ingredients.

This week I have managed cheese sauce without a packet lol

Now I need to find the bits to do things like chilli con carne without a jar of sauce to help me. Fajitas without the little packet of spices etc

I am also hoping you can all share some cake or biscuit recipes that are A foolproof and B basic ingredients C quick so I don't lose the will to live :rotfl:

Cooking does not come naturally to me

If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply!

[threadbanner]box[/threadbanner]

Mint1955 · 4 November 2014 at 8:12AM

There are only two of us so the other problem is using stuff up or more importantly remembering everything here is sold in kilos so I need to watch at the veg stalls and food counters and do much sign language or learn the appropriate words for a smaller amount. They think I am odd buying so little as everyone seems to shop and cook for armies of people everyday.

moneyistooshorttomention · 4 November 2014 at 8:18AM

What country are you going to?

NewShadow · 4 November 2014 at 8:29AM

Chilli and other similar savoury meals is basically about getting the underlying taste right.

as a basic - do whatever you would do up until adding the sauce, then add whatever's on the label of your jar - in small amounts, tasting as you go.

with chilli, cook the meat and onions, add the beans and any veg (i add peppers). then add a tin or two of chopped tomatoes (or if you're really in the wilds dice actual tomatoes quite small and fry just after the onion). then add the spice - for chilli its ground cumin, ground coriander and cayenne pepper. some then like to add garlic, paprika, chocolate, chilli powder. actual ingredients and ratios will need you to experiment.

things with lots of additives - many Chinese sauces are good examples - are a bit harder as they can contain additives so you can't match the colour and consistency easy. as a rule of thumb, sweet and sour is vinegar, fruit (pineapple or mango) and sugar simmered together in a pan for the right taste, with any added spices mentioned on your jar, then use corn starch or rice flour to thicken.

other chinese can be simply achieved with plenty of greens, lots and lots of ginger, garlic, and after a splash of soy

if in doubt, when you're in your new home, load up tesc*.com and have a look of the ingredients.

good luck and sorry of the above is discombobulated - I'm currently flu bound

Mint1955 · 4 November 2014 at 9:05AM

Northern Cyprus so although we can get things they are at a premium.

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

What country are you going to?

Mint1955 · 4 November 2014 at 9:09AM

Wow talk about light bulb..... Check on the labels for the ingredients or check on tes*o that's so simple lol

I think I should also add that if it's a faff then it won't get cooked unless I am hypnotised into believing I am a step ford wife

:D:D

NewShadow wrote: »

Chilli and other similar savoury meals is basically about getting the underlying taste right.

as a basic - do whatever you would do up until adding the sauce, then add whatever's on the label of your jar - in small amounts, tasting as you go.

with chilli, cook the meat and onions, add the beans and any veg (i add peppers). then add a tin or two of chopped tomatoes (or if you're really in the wilds dice actual tomatoes quite small and fry just after the onion). then add the spice - for chilli its ground cumin, ground coriander and cayenne pepper. some then like to add garlic, paprika, chocolate, chilli powder. actual ingredients and ratios will need you to experiment.

things with lots of additives - many Chinese sauces are good examples - are a bit harder as they can contain additives so you can't match the colour and consistency easy. as a rule of thumb, sweet and sour is vinegar, fruit (pineapple or mango) and sugar simmered together in a pan for the right taste, with any added spices mentioned on your jar, then use corn starch or rice flour to thicken.

other chinese can be simply achieved with plenty of greens, lots and lots of ginger, garlic, and after a splash of soy

if in doubt, when you're in your new home, load up tesc*.com and have a look of the ingredients.

good luck and sorry of the above is discombobulated - I'm currently flu bound

NewShadow · 4 November 2014 at 11:55PM

Once you understand the basic physics of a recipe its easier to adapt to local ingredients.

When I lived in Bali I cooked victoria sponge for a friends birthday with no flour, butter, sugar, cream, or jam...

...used fine rice flour, oil, manually ground some palm sugar, made mock cream (ww2 recipe) and cooked up some fruit...:rotfl:

Mint1955 · 5 November 2014 at 6:31AM

Does anyone have an easy but ingredient simple biscuit or tray bake recipe that I can use but that can be frozen so I have something quick to defrost if people come for coffee. It really does need micro easy instructions lol

Mint1955 · 5 November 2014 at 6:56AM

We are in our last three weeks here now before we return to the Uk to sell our house, pack up and return here for good. So many jobs we were going to get sorted since we arrived at the beginning of September didn't get started, mainly as it's much more fun to sit in the sun or go for a walk or out on our bikes etc lol. We have also had a guy replacing all the iron railings on the stairs inside and out and the roof terrace. Nearly finished just waiting for the glass panels and a couple of holes need filling.

We did do a 100 kilometre walking challenge in the mountains camping for two nights which was fantastic so now everyday I look up and can say that's my mountain ;-)

Tasks to be done

Get gas bottle moved out of a kitchen cupboard and locate outside which will free up a cupboard and be safer

Have shelf put in cupboard

scavenge local sandstone lumps to build a little walled cover for the gas bottle

Fix the panels on the jacuzzi outer that have come unstuck due to the sun

Get safe fitted

House number on wall

Make up cabinet for bedroom

Start collecting kindling for the log burner.

Chase up the log delivery

Chase up builder to put roof up to shelter the logs

Chase up other builder to winter proof the outside walls and wood etc

Re do sealant around windows outside

Indoors jobs which will probably wait until we return

Scrape out and renew all grouting on floor tiles

Remove clean and re fix all tiled uprights (our skirting boards)

Scrape back and repair damp patches

Do new sealant round all windows inside

Mint1955 · 5 November 2014 at 7:36AM

And why did I start this in Old Style?

Need to cook from scratch and basics again like cakes and biscuits without fancy ingredients.

DIY is not our strong point but there will be plenty of things need doing yearly, as the sun in the summer kills everything and the damp and rains means the outside needs protecting. We can't afford for everything to be done by tradesmen and we have the time to learn some basic skills now.

Life changing routines means more time for just having a go at new things and maybe starting new projects ourselves.

So maybe a diary of our new journey if I don't forget where I started it lol
A learning tool where I can ask for help and maybe show my progress in the household stakes and OH in the DIY department.

One big thing is we have now a local car so no more hire car charges but it does mean a car to look after and clean etc!!

Horace · 5 November 2014 at 10:23AM

Did you have a car when you were here in the UK? If you did then it is the same for Cyprus - check the oil, re-fill the washer bottle and check the tyres - anything else mechanical take it to the garage as cars are complicated these days with computers running the engine etc.

When baking use cups instead of trying to measure out - this makes life a lot easier. I use the Australian Woman's Weekly cookbooks (although some of their ingredients have different names to ours but I usually substitute something that I do like) - all measurements are in cups.

1 cup is 8oz

When buying in the markets - ask for half a kilo, don't be afraid to ask (learn a bit of basic Spanish too as that may help - what language do they speak in Cyprus? I do know that some do understand English because there is an RAF base on the island and has been for many years).

Youtube is a good source of finding out how to do things and Pinterest has some interesting projects which when you see the pictures and pin them to your board you can then go to the website and there are usually instructions. There are lots of things that can be made from wooden pallets for instance. Must admit that I am not DIY minded but get a man in when I can but I am a dab hand with a hammer and some nails.

Not all of us are domestic goddesses - I am a basic cook (self taught) but that doesn't stop me from experimenting when it comes to cakes and these days I rarely follow recipes.

I found this website when trawling the net https://tfrnorthcyprus.wordpress.com/category/chefs-choice/page/2/ - it talks about all things in Northern Cyprus. There is even a Lidl store (pronounced Leedle over there), one thing I have found on my travels around Europe is that they sell the same foods as they do in the UK store - for instance their pre-made lasagne (it is yummy). There are recipes on the website too - and one thing I have learnt is that tomatoes are in abundance and therefore cheap.

PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

Help... It's time for change!!!

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free