Learning to cook

About 15 years ago I found myself needing to do something about my cooking skills.

In a nutshell, I had none. I had zero game. Nothing beyond boiling what us New Zealanders call ‘Westie Veges’ (frozen peas and corn), mashed potato and doing unspeakable things to meat. You know – basically frying or baking perfectly innocent cuts to the point of blackness. I remember and I cringe.

At that time, Jamie Oliver was starting out with his ‘Naked Chef’ persona. He was compelling. He was also one of the first ‘celebrity chefs’ with an app for the iPhone. This was a life changer for me.

The app had amazing recipes and imagery. Food for all occasions and dietary requirements. It provided guidance as to what I needed in my kitchen. It provided guidance as to what staple ingredients I should have. What staple equipment I should have. I absorbed it all. And went shopping.

I really appreciated that the app would take the recipes and then populate a shopping list on my phone. I appreciated that the shopping list could be sorted by aisle in the supermarket. It introduced me to the wonderful world of ingredients! So very great.

I’ve not looked back.

In fact, in this very digital world, I’ve become obsessed with cookbooks. Actual printed cookbooks. I’ve acquired so many over the years. Pretty much every cuisine is explored and on my bookshelves.

One of my fun things to do every January is to think about and pick a cuisine to get good at. I’ve explored standard things like Italian. But when I do this I’ve also gone much further  than the introductions. I explore all the things – pasta, sauces, buying a chitarra, a pasta machine… you get the idea.

It’s fun. I do enjoy learning new things. And with food, the output usually tastes amazing!