Dream Walking

I’ve been living the single bachelor life for a lil over a year.  Its taken that long to overcome my fear of going to the grocer.  I still have issues on buying proper quantities and I get strangely annoyed in the inefficiencies of product placement at the locale supermarkets.  Nevertheless, I’ve taken on the challenge of learning to cook.  While I wouldn’t consider myself decent by the smallest of standards…I have made some discoveries that can help the novice chef.  So without further adeiu

Chef Jimmy’s Guide to Cooking:  Dinner For One.

K.I.S.S: Keep it simple stupid.  Its my motto in the kitchen.  I rarely stray from my standard approach.  Chicken or Beef and a sauce to marinate.  I never bake.

SAUCES ARE YOUR FRIEND:  Sauces do the work for you.  Simply marinate in your choice of soy sauce, indian powders mixed with water.  The more water you add the more your dish turns into a stew or curry.  The longer you keep it in the fridge before you cook, the softer and more flavorful your dish will become.  I can imagine you veteran chefs out there saying “duh!”

You’re on the clock:  Try to get the meal ready to eat in 30 minutes or less.  I think you got to build up stamina and knowledge to cook longer than that.

Today I cooked a beef poblano dish using a poblano pepper sauce and added a few jalapenos for extra spice.  I cut the beef into small flanks and then marinated it in the sauce and then added the jalapenos.  I left the marinated beef in the fridge for a lil over an hour.  I then put some olive oil in my wok and cooked the marinated meet along with some additonal sauce for about 15 minutes. Done Deal.  Made some rice and sauteed some veggies and my meal was good to go.  With sauce as my friend, I KISSed that meal good bye in less than 30 minutes prep time. :)

While I’m still not convinced that I’m saving money cooking at home…there is definitely something cathartic in cooking and eating my own creation.  Today its dinner for one, tomorrow its dinner for One Hundred!  I kiiid…I’ll aim for 10.

What’s your speciality dish?  What cooking tips can you offer Chef Jimmy?