10 Dishes Every New Bride or Groom Must Know How to Make!
10 Dishes Every New Bride or Groom Must Know How to Make!
by Joi Sigers
in Food (submitted 2005-02-04)
Okay, you've either gotten married or are planning to pretty soon.
Congratulations! I'm sure you're aware that this means you will be responsible
for at least half the meals you and your loved one will eat from here on out!
Not to mention future children, your visiting family members and - of course -
inlaws.
A while back, one of my young daughters (who I hope wasn't
getting any ideas), asked me which 10 recipes I thought every newly married
person should be able to make. After thinking, off and on, about it for a few
days, I came up with what I believe are the top ones. Before we get to the
recipes, I'd like to just share a few words that would have made life a lot
easier on me had someone shared them with me when I first began cooking!
Cooking is an art. It isn't a chore to be endured or a duty to get out
of the way. It truly can be one of the most rewarding and satisfying things
you'll ever do. Just like most things, anyone who wants to become good at it
can. Anyone who wants to become great at it can. There's an ancient Chinese
Proverb that says, "The only difference between a good housekeeper and a bad one
is an hour a day." I took the liberty to edit the proverb to tell you, "The only
difference between a good cook and a bad one is an hour a day." If you make up
your mind to become a great cook and dedicate even just one hour a day to honing
your skills, you'll earn your apron's stripes!
A few things you should
always remember:
Never leave the kitchen when you're baking cookies or
biscuits. I wouldn't advise ever wandering away from the kitchen while cooking,
but when it's something like cookies or biscuits, doing so is usually
disasterous. They're just looking for a reason to burn and take your departure
as the open door they need.
When getting cookbooks, go to the used
bookstores - or check online auctions or Amazon.com. The cookbooks that were
written in the 70s and 80s were some of the best. You'll find ingredients you've
actually heard of, for one thing, plus they tend to have more of the basic
recipes you'll need for starting out.
Watch Food TV! It is really
addictive, and even more informative. I'd suggest you not ever, under any
circumstances, miss an episode of Paula Deen's "Paula's Home Cooking", Rachel
Ray's "30 Minute Meals" or Alton Brown's "Good Eats". They're the top, in my
opinion. After you're more familiar with your way around the pots and pans,
you'll be ready for Emeril, but you have to work up to him!
Now, to the
top ten recipes you'll need. Either consult some of those cookbooks I told you
about, or a website, such as http://www.foodtv.com or http://www.buttermilkpress.com, or ask various family members
for their favorite recipes for each. They'll get a real kick out of that. Plus,
if you happen to ask an inlaw for their favorite recipes, you'll get off on an
especially agreeable note!
Breakfast/Brunch:
1. French Toast and
Pancakes. Nothing will impress him or her quite like a tall, warm stack of
delicious pancakes with butter melting off the sides.
2. Egg dishes:
Scrambled, fried and poached. Note: When cooking eggs, remove them from the
skillet before they actually look completely done. They continue cooking even
after they're removed to the platter.
3. Buttermilk BIscuits. Buttermilk
in a recipe makes everything instantly better. Whether it's biscuits, pancakes
or cornbread, it's presence improves the flavor ten-fold.
4. Great
coffee. You absolutely must be able to make a sensational pot of coffee. Do your
research, try out different beans and always, always grind your own coffee. You
can get a grinder for under $20.00, and it will be 20 of the wisest dollars you
ever invest.
Lunch:
5. Hamburgers and their cousin,
Cheeseburgers. I'll let you in on a family secret, a little garlic salt is the
difference between, "Honey, this is good." and "Wow! My mom (dad) never made
burgers like this!"
6. At least one really good homemade soup. I know,
the little red and white cans are awfully convenient (and you'll find about 10
in my own pantry), but being able to make a sensational potato or vegetable soup
is a great big feather in your culinary cap.
Supper/Etc:
7.
Fried Chicken. Back to the Buttermilk for a minute, soaking your chicken in
buttermilk (in the fridge) for about an hour before coating and frying makes for
a juicier, more flavorful meat.
8. Mashed potatoes. Never. Under. Any.
Circumstances. Use. Instant. Potatoes. Don't even look their way in the store.
Peel, boil, and mash your potatoes with milk, butter and....pssst, another
family secret, sour cream. It's worth the effort.
9. Yeast rolls. Okay,
I'll admit it, these aren't as easy to make as the other 10 or so foods talked
about here. That's because yeast is tempermental. It can be likened to
Goldilocks, of all things. It gets angry if the liquid is too hot, it gets angry
if the liquid is too cold. It wants it just right, and when the temperature
isn't just right, whereas Goldie laid down, your bread will lie down. Flat
rolls. Ugly rolls.
10. (3-way tie!) Chocolate Chip Cookies, Apple Pie
and Your sweetheart's favorite cake. Master the desserts and even when the main
meal isn't up to par it'll be okay. The last thing a person eats, after all, is
the thing they'll most recall. You know the saying, all's well that end's well.
Cogratulations, good luck, and have fun. It may sound like something out
of a 1940s cookbook, but that really is the biggest secret. To most things in
life, actually.
About the Author
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