The Humble Housewife
I loved your tips on cooking. My boyfriend is starting plans to open up a restaurant. He is the chef, I am clueless!
I am going to use this new found knowledge and whip him up a meal very soon!
Great tips Deborah - I love my Kitchen Aid! It whips up that Pizza dough recipe that I keep coming back here for in no time!
I also love the immersion blender and my knives.
I make most if not all our food from scratch - this way I know exactly what's going into everything you know?
I need to try baking more yeast breads - I have a bread machine - to be honest I don't like how the bread comes out.
Amen to all of the above! Except for baking bread which is too much effort (and there's a really good bakery downstairs from my flat - one of the joys of living in Italy!) Although Jamie Oliver's cheese chilli and paprika flatbread is the business.
I tried growing coriander a few times but it's the most delicate thing going, it never lasted more than a week. Then again I'm not exactly green-fingered. I use loads of sage and rosemary which have the advantage of being able to withstand neglect.
TOTALLY agree. I could have cried when I read Little Bird Eats all about Delia cooking with tinned lamb and frozen mashed potato. What the hell is the point in that? Great tips too. Mwah x
SUCH good advice ... only I don't use butter (my husband had a heart attack) - I find olive oil is a lovely substitute in very many cases ...
Joanna
All good, great tips and excellent priorities.
I would just add one golden rule to the list.
Source with care, search out the best meat, the freshest veg and fish and then support the people who have sold it to you.
Good food, in my humble opionion, is about 75% good buying 25% culinary skills.
I'd love to have a go at baking bread, from 'first principals' but for the time being I'm loving the Odlums bread mixes.
I love your tips and I'm pleased to say I'm already following a lot of them ( pushed by Sam) including getting a new knife when I was in San Francisco.
I agree with so many of your points Deborah, a good knife, real butter and fresh harbs are simple steps that make sucj a difference to prepartion (knife) and the outcome of a meal. Just caution to new knife users, take it easy when you are developing your knife skills, yes your scars will a funny story in years to come, but try not to lose whole digits. They add nothingto a dish 
Victorine - Go for it! I used to date a chef, but he was never in the mood for cooking for me! 
Annie - I agree, I used to have a bread machine, but didn't like the loaves at all. Hand made is much better. 10 minutes kneading may be too much time for some, but I look at it as a workout for my arms!
Caro - Yep, coriander can be a nightmare. I often have trouble with basil too, but it's cooperating with me this year!
EM - I KNOW! Awful stuff. Haven't told my Mum yet, it just might kill her as she swears by Delia!
Joanna - Thanks. Yes, you are in a bit of a different situation! For the record I love Pomme La Lotte potatoes which are mashed potatoes made with olive oil instead of butter. So rich and tasty!
Martin - Agree 100%! That is a whole separate post! Don't want to alienate my US readers. Would guess that the majority of them do not have access to a butcher unless in a big city!
James- Oh you should try it... it's so much more satisfying than the mixes. I love Odlums, but some of the mixes have um... interesting ingredients that you would have complete control over with your own recipe! Try the NY Times no knead recipe for an easy first time bread!
Chris - Yes, you have your own personal kitchen consultant with Sam!
Jen - Always good advice! I lost half a thumbnail last week! lol!
Just wanted to let you know that your post is featured on BlogHer today! ~ AK
hooray - something even a kitchen muppet like me can use! well done
Great tips! They do make a difference. I practice most of them already but the affirmation is a blessing. Thanks!
very useful tips. especially the one with a good one knife. I have a good German knife, a friend of mine passed it on to me when she moved out of the country, it is even broken a little bit but it cuts really good and I use it a lot in the kitchen.
If you need a good book to read while cooking, then this poetry book is brilliant. There's so much depth to it but since it's all poetry it works out well for when you have short amounts of time while you're waiting on food to finish. Definitely check it out.
href="http://www.pardonusmswriter.com/">Poetry Book
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