10 Dishes Every New Bride or Groom Must Know How to Make!
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.
Congratulations, 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.
Visit Buttermilk Press for more articles, cooking tips, food facts, resources, and more. E-mail the author at joi@buttermilkpress.com
 Google News Updated : Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:55:50 GMT Obama cites faith as key to change - Boston Globe Boston Globe - Barack Obama called "active faith" an obligation of religious Americans and a chief agent of societal change in a speech yesterday at the national meeting of a black church group. Veterans Group Urges Support to 'Finish the Job' Veterans’ Group Critical of Obama Plans Costly Ad Campaign Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 06:58:31 GMT Obama Campaign Criticizes Rival McCain's Economic Proposals - Bloomberg
Bloomberg - By Alison Vekshin July 6 (Bloomberg) -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's advisers criticized Republican rival John McCain's economic proposals as both candidates prepared to focus on the US economy this week. Obama Advisers Tout Tax Plan That topic we love to hate Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 19:27:55 GMT Bosox, Cubs each put 7 players on All-Star rosters - The Associated Press
The Associated Press - NEW YORK (AP) - Maybe Manny Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano and the rest of the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs should just play their own All-Star game. All-Star rosters revealed Cubs win 7-1 and seven All-Stars; I'd say it was a good day Publ.Date : Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:00:58 GMT AT&T's Odd iPhone Offer - TechNewsWorld
TechNewsWorld - By Eric Benderoff Some of the details surrounding AT&T's iPhone prices make little sense, writes Eric Benderoff. The company will sell a 3G iPhone with no contract for a $400 premium. iPhone 3G line forms in NYC for a green cause New iPhone Can Decouple From AT&T, for a Price Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 11:04:21 GMT 'Hancock' a signature opening for Smith - Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times - The offbeat superhero story brings in $66 million over the holiday weekend, marking the star's eighth straight No. 1. He's hot, but the reviews were not. ‘Hancock’ Powers to the Top of Box Office Will Smith is box office superhero with 'Hancock' Publ.Date : Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:03:03 GMT Google, Zen Master of the Market - New York Times
New York Times - By STEVE LOHR Bill Gates, who walked away from full-time work at Microsoft last month, was perhaps the foremost applied economist of the second half of the 20th century. Why Microsoft will win Yahoo Yahoo! re-enters merger talks with Time Warner Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 22:57:50 GMT Weather Channel Is Sold to NBC and Equity Firms - New York Times New York Times - By MICHAEL J. de la MERCED An investor group led by NBC Universal and two private equity firms clinched a deal for the Weather Channel on Sunday after three weeks of negotiations. NBC Universal, Bain, Blackstone Buy Weather Channel (Update1) NBC and its Partners Announce Deal To Buy Weather Channel and Assets Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 21:48:12 GMT Increased Website Traffic |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... While it may be surprising, owning your own meat grinder... Read More Researchers have found that bacteria have a tougher time surviving... Read More Filet mignon is French, of course, with filet meaning "thick... Read More For over 40 years scientists have known that the fumes... Read More If you find leftovers boring, uninviting or downright "yuck," then... Read More A lot of the times we mean to get in... Read More Baking cookies seem to fill the house with a sense... Read More There are usually 2 ways of deep frying in Chinese... Read More Ah, there's nothing like a tender, steaming scone in the... Read More Have you ever wondered how much a serving really is.... Read More Untreated cast iron rusts, especially around water. To prevent metal... Read More Seasoning is the most important thing you can do to... Read More Would you like to prepare the best Garlic Mashed Potatoes... Read More Flax seed will add a pleasant nutty taste to any... Read More The human body requires the intake of six types of... Read More Do you realize the many ways that bacteria can contaminate... Read More Kitchen canister sets are a great way to accent your... Read More BBQ as we all know is an abbreviated form of... Read More Food poisoning is related to unsafe food, a dirty kitchen,... Read More There's two basic theories on grilling corn. Some people prefer... Read More You don't have to own a bread machine to enjoy... Read More With the holidays on their way soon, many people will... Read More When buying apricots, always look for those that are firm,... Read More Here's a little known factoid - did you know that... Read More The great English cook Prue Leith once famously remarked "life's... Read More
Adsense
websites
Eating Healthy with a Meat Grinder
Caring For Your Wooden Cutting Board
Cooking Filet Mignon
Is Your Cookware Poisoning You?
Two for One Dinners: Beans
10 Simple Kitchen Organizing Tips
The Joys of Refrigerator Cookies
Chinese Cooking Technique: Deep Fry
The Perfect Scone: Keys to Make Your Scone Just Right
What is a Serving Size?
Seasoning An Oven
Wok this Way! (Part 3 of 5) Seasoning Your New Wok
How to Prepare the Best Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Flax Seed Will Add A Little Extra Flavor To Your Recipes
Storing Fats and Oils
10 Easy Ways To Protect Your Family From Food Poisoning
Kitchen Canister Sets - How to Beautify Your Kitchen
7 Things to Consider when Buying a BBQ
10 Critical Ways To A Perfectly Food-Safe Kitchen
Grill Your Corn for Maximum Flavor
Using Bread Machine Mixes in Your Oven
Must Haves for Any At-Home Chef
Buying, Storing, and Preparing Apricots
To Fry Or Not To Fry?
How to Peel Almost Anything
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
Cookware ? Whats In It?
Have you ever wanted to buy new cookware but didn't... Read More
How to Make Homemade Ice Cream (Without an Ice Cream Maker!)
COLFAX, WISCONSIN - June is Dairy Month and what better... Read More
Two for One Dinners: Turkey
If you find leftovers boring, uninviting or downright "yuck," then... Read More
How to Make a Cajun Roux
The process of preparing Cajun food is in no way... Read More
Alone In the Kitchen: Stirring Up Mindfulness
Put on your apron! It's time to stir up a... Read More
Troubleshooting Cookies
If your cookies are too tough . . . You... Read More
Easy Herb Butters
Since herbs are plentiful this time of year, why not... Read More
Ten Steps to Perfect Pasta
I'm amazed at how often I get e-mail from a... Read More
Is Cooked Food Really All That Good For Us?
In nature all animals eat living foods as yielded up... Read More
How to cut a cake
Have you ever wondered how to cut a cake? I... Read More
Two for One Dinners: Ham
If you find leftovers boring, uninviting or downright "yuck," then... Read More
Don?t Poke the Chicken at Your Backyard Barbecue
You might be planning a home remodeling project and it... Read More
Garlic: A Quick Guide
Garlic, there's nothing like the smell of garlic. It's great... Read More
10 Smoky Tips To BBQ Food Safely
Cooking outdoors was once only a summer activity shared with... Read More
How to Cook a Lobster
French chefs plunge them into boiling water; English ones, in... Read More
How To Eat Fresh Vegetables ? Ideas for Working More Veggies Into Your Diet
Fresh, uncooked veggies are so healthy and it's important to... Read More
The World of Cornbread
We're partial to cornbread. We like its rustic texture and... Read More
Dutch Oven Cooking Basics
Pioneer CookingWhen you think of a cast iron Dutch oven,... Read More
How to Prepare the Best Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Would you like to prepare the best Garlic Mashed Potatoes... Read More
How to Grill Most Any Vegetable You Can Think Of!
Grilling vegetables is easy. The fact that more people don't... Read More
Barbecue Success With The Rule Of Thirds
Ever been to a barbecue party where the 'chef' placed... Read More
Preparing Lobster Tails
Lobster, once the food of poor farmers, is now considered... Read More
High Altitude Baking - A Cooks Guide
High altitude baking can be a real adventure for the... Read More
Buying, Storing, and Preparing Apricots
When buying apricots, always look for those that are firm,... Read More
The Perfect Scone: Keys to Make Your Scone Just Right
Ah, there's nothing like a tender, steaming scone in the... Read More
Cooking Tips |