Bland Pallette

stephkg84
stephkg84 Posts: 3 Member
in Food and Nutrition
There are some gorgeous recipes out there but at the same time some of the ingredients scare me lol. I grew up on basically a diet of powder mac and cheese so adult food is weird. 😂 What are some stepping stones without making myself sick in trial and error.

Replies

  • missysippy930
    missysippy930 Posts: 2,577 Member
    Herbs and spices are what makes food taste better. Experiment with different mixes of spices to see what you like. Do you like Buffalo wings? There are a lot of hot sauces from very mild to very hot.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    Keep tasting and trying, it takes several times trying something to acquire the taste - there are so many delicious foods out there :)
  • wilson10102018
    wilson10102018 Posts: 1,306 Member
    Concentrate on quality primary ingredients. Recipes are overrated.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    I would experiment but I would suggest keeping it simple. You like noodles so instead of making them with the powdered cheese make them with a butter garlic sauce. If you know you like garlic make them with butter, garlic, and parsley. Basically take any of your bland food and just ratchet it up one notch and see what you think. If you make chicken cut it and have some of it the way you are accustomed and some of it maybe with a ginger glaze.

    For the most part you want to start with herbs not spices. Herbs tend to be milder in flavor.

    Let your nose help guide you. If you smell something like oregano and it smells off-putting you are not ready for it yet. If you smell chili mix and it smells good to you chances are you will like cumin.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,962 Member
    If you love mac and cheese try an authentic cacio e pepe.
    https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2016/nov/03/how-to-make-the-perfect-cacio-e-pepe
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    What ingredients scare you? What foods (meats, vegetables, fruits, starches) do you know you like?
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    I love watching cooking shows, they are very inspiring. FoodTv has a great app for making food along with small videos on knife skills and cooking ingredients, etc.
  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
    Choose herbs to start, rather than spices. Herbs have a more subtle flavor.

    Parsley, Italian seasoning, basil, tarragon, oregano, etc. Try any dried herb that looks like a cut up leaf to start.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    My OH's mother didn't use a lot of fresh herbs and he is not used to them. I often use less than what the recipe calls for. My pesto tasted too sharp for him even after using less basil, so I blanched it for 30 seconds in boiling water before proceeding with the recipe. Oh, and I added 2 oz of spinach to further dilute the basil.

    So, do use fresh herbs - they add so much to recipes - but you may wish to go easy on them at first.

    If you stick a bunch of parsley in a glass of water in the frig it will keep for a very long time.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,962 Member
    I am assuming you are a beginner cook too. Give cacio pepe a try (grown up gourmet mac and cheese) with a salad to make it a balanced meal. Lettuce or tomato with bottled ranch dressing is my recommendation.

    Next thing I would try is spaghetti carbonara because no one dislikes bacon and eggs. I wouldn't be too precious about sourcing Italian pancetta. Some streaky bacon will do. Have this with a salad too.

    https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2012/may/10/how-to-cook-perfect-spaghetti-carbonara

    After that branch out to a dinner of steak, salad and baked potato. Google how to cook steak. Easiest way to do a jacket potato is in the microwave. Prick in several places with a fork to allow steam to escape and prevent explosions. Depending on the power of your microwave it should take 6-10 minutes on the highest setting. Give the potato a squeeze starting 6 minutes, once a minute to test for doneness.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,962 Member
    I am assuming you are a beginner cook too. Give cacio pepe a try (grown up gourmet mac and cheese) with a salad to make it a balanced meal. Lettuce or tomato with bottled ranch dressing is my recommendation.

    Next thing I would try is spaghetti carbonara because no one dislikes bacon and eggs. I wouldn't be too precious about sourcing Italian pancetta. Some streaky bacon will do. Have this with a salad too.

    https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2012/may/10/how-to-cook-perfect-spaghetti-carbonara

    After that branch out to a dinner of steak, salad and baked potato. Google how to cook steak. Easiest way to do a jacket potato is in the microwave. Prick in several places with a fork to allow steam to escape and prevent explosions. Depending on the power of your microwave it should take 6-10 minutes on the highest setting. Give the potato a squeeze starting 6 minutes, once a minute to test for doneness.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    My mother didn't teach me how to cook, but after I moved out she gave me a Joy of Cooking, which was even better.

    My library system carries it, so yours may as well.
  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
    edited September 2019
    I learned to cook when I was 27 years old and happened to date a chef for a bit. Personally, I'm the kind of person who learns things better hands on. When it comes to cooking, I'm grateful for having learned from a person rather than a book. If I were you, I'd get together with a friend or family member to learn the basics.

    Have fun with it!

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