How are you cooking?

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Replies

  • COGypsy
    COGypsy Posts: 1,353 Member
    yirara wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    yirara wrote: »
    No, I don't get airfryers either. But then I cook lots of food involving frying aromatics like onion, garlic and chili first, then adding spices at a lower temperature, then adding other stuff at higher temperature, then even more stuff, then other spices, etc and 20 minutes later my dinner is done. I don't see how an airfryer would help me there.

    Ah, yes, your describing cooking. Cheers. If I want something deep fried, I will deep fry. When I actually use an oven it's mostly for braises or baking and quite a bit of my oven use is at lower temps and the times I've needed a little oven with a fan is 0. But again, if it's displacing the consumption of ultra processed food in someone's diet, I'm all for it.

    totally! Each their own. My eating would be a lot less enjoyable, but I guess such a thing really helps a lot of people. :)

    I gave up on home cooking being enjoyable ages ago. It’s functional, keeps body and soul together, but is my most dreaded chore. Honestly, takeout is easier, more varied, and the taste of not doing dishes is delicious. But for the remaining 20% of my diet, I really enjoy an option that’s fast and makes minimal mess. Food itself has almost nothing to do with it.

  • MsCzar
    MsCzar Posts: 1,071 Member
    edited October 2022
    COGypsy wrote: »
    ... I gave up on home cooking being enjoyable ages ago. It’s functional, keeps body and soul together, but is my most dreaded chore. Honestly, takeout is easier, more varied, and the taste of not doing dishes is delicious...
    One of my absolute non-negotiables is a proper automatic dishwasher.
  • COGypsy
    COGypsy Posts: 1,353 Member
    MsCzar wrote: »
    COGypsy wrote: »
    ... I gave up on home cooking being enjoyable ages ago. It’s functional, keeps body and soul together, but is my most dreaded chore. Honestly, takeout is easier, more varied, and the taste of not doing dishes is delicious...
    One of my absolute non-negotiables is a proper automatic dishwasher.

    100%! The only thing in my house that doesn’t go in the dishwasher are my knives! I have serving stuff that would have to be hand washed, but honestly, I usually don’t even bother with a plate. I usually have to run the dishwasher because I’m out of silverware. 😝
  • DFW_Tom
    DFW_Tom Posts: 220 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    I don't have the book myself, but others from them, and before I invest in an air fryer I'd check it out.

    lol, too late. I've already ordered one. I will check at the library for the Test Kitchen book. Thanks for the tip.

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited October 2022
    yirara wrote: »
    No, I don't get airfryers either. But then I cook lots of food involving frying aromatics like onion, garlic and chili first, then adding spices at a lower temperature, then adding other stuff at higher temperature, then even more stuff, then other spices, etc and 20 minutes later my dinner is done. I don't see how an airfryer would help me there.

    This is me, except this time of year I usually do it after lunch, throw it in the crock pot, and it is ready at dinner time, so no prep or dishes need to be done before dinner.

    I don't mind the act of washing dishes - it just works out better for me to have done them well ahead of the meal.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,943 Member
    COGypsy wrote: »
    yirara wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    yirara wrote: »
    No, I don't get airfryers either. But then I cook lots of food involving frying aromatics like onion, garlic and chili first, then adding spices at a lower temperature, then adding other stuff at higher temperature, then even more stuff, then other spices, etc and 20 minutes later my dinner is done. I don't see how an airfryer would help me there.

    Ah, yes, your describing cooking. Cheers. If I want something deep fried, I will deep fry. When I actually use an oven it's mostly for braises or baking and quite a bit of my oven use is at lower temps and the times I've needed a little oven with a fan is 0. But again, if it's displacing the consumption of ultra processed food in someone's diet, I'm all for it.

    totally! Each their own. My eating would be a lot less enjoyable, but I guess such a thing really helps a lot of people. :)

    I gave up on home cooking being enjoyable ages ago. It’s functional, keeps body and soul together, but is my most dreaded chore. Honestly, takeout is easier, more varied, and the taste of not doing dishes is delicious. But for the remaining 20% of my diet, I really enjoy an option that’s fast and makes minimal mess. Food itself has almost nothing to do with it.

    See, there we differ. I have about 30 pots with herbs and spices next to my hob. And quite a few more in one of my kitchen cupboards, mostly things I mixed together myself. I quite enjoy cooking. I'm not good but I see it as some kind of magic. Sometimes I mix some random things together and magic happens. At other times I follow a tried and tested recipe to the T and it doesn't for some reason. And then the fixers for those occasions come in ;) But yeah, overall cooking hardly ever takes more than 30 minutes for me, of it it does then it's usually bigger portions that I put in the freezer. One of the joys for me is to order a random vegetable box, or try to get a fruit and vegetable Too Good To Go pack, and then figure out what to do with them. This time I got a surprising amount of various cabbages. One china cabbage ended up with carrots and mango in a more unusual Thai green curry, and I'll have one portion left. Yummy!
  • COGypsy
    COGypsy Posts: 1,353 Member
    yirara wrote: »
    COGypsy wrote: »
    yirara wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    yirara wrote: »
    No, I don't get airfryers either. But then I cook lots of food involving frying aromatics like onion, garlic and chili first, then adding spices at a lower temperature, then adding other stuff at higher temperature, then even more stuff, then other spices, etc and 20 minutes later my dinner is done. I don't see how an airfryer would help me there.

    Ah, yes, your describing cooking. Cheers. If I want something deep fried, I will deep fry. When I actually use an oven it's mostly for braises or baking and quite a bit of my oven use is at lower temps and the times I've needed a little oven with a fan is 0. But again, if it's displacing the consumption of ultra processed food in someone's diet, I'm all for it.

    totally! Each their own. My eating would be a lot less enjoyable, but I guess such a thing really helps a lot of people. :)

    I gave up on home cooking being enjoyable ages ago. It’s functional, keeps body and soul together, but is my most dreaded chore. Honestly, takeout is easier, more varied, and the taste of not doing dishes is delicious. But for the remaining 20% of my diet, I really enjoy an option that’s fast and makes minimal mess. Food itself has almost nothing to do with it.

    See, there we differ. I have about 30 pots with herbs and spices next to my hob. And quite a few more in one of my kitchen cupboards, mostly things I mixed together myself. I quite enjoy cooking. I'm not good but I see it as some kind of magic. Sometimes I mix some random things together and magic happens. At other times I follow a tried and tested recipe to the T and it doesn't for some reason. And then the fixers for those occasions come in ;) But yeah, overall cooking hardly ever takes more than 30 minutes for me, of it it does then it's usually bigger portions that I put in the freezer. One of the joys for me is to order a random vegetable box, or try to get a fruit and vegetable Too Good To Go pack, and then figure out what to do with them. This time I got a surprising amount of various cabbages. One china cabbage ended up with carrots and mango in a more unusual Thai green curry, and I'll have one portion left. Yummy!

    I do enjoy cooking for other people, I’m really a pretty good cook. I was responsible for packing lunches and cooking dinner for a family of 4 from the time I was 10 and it still seems like a chore overall. I just find the whole process—thinking of things to buy, ordering, cleaning, chopping, cooking, and cleanup—all of it is incredibly abhorrent as a single person. Frozen veg and pre-cooked rice and beans gets the job done, along with the occasional soup or casserole and is really all I need.

  • delillolauren
    delillolauren Posts: 35 Member
    Other than a range/oven the only gadget I have and use consistently is my crockpot. I have decent cookware, a sharp knife and my nana’s cast iron pans, including a giant 17 in diameter pan that I use as a roaster.
    I might add that I’m cooking for a family of five and my three kids are athletic and have huge appetites. So I tend to cook ‘big’.
  • MsCzar
    MsCzar Posts: 1,071 Member
    I sometimes feel a little cheated on the days I don't cook. I find great satisfaction in the creative art of preparing a delicious meal. Today I made a tomato sauce from my garden tomatoes. And since we all know pasta dishes are better on the second day, I combined the hot pasta with the cooled sauce and a few frozen meatballs to meld flavours in the fridge overnight. Then I made fajitas with fresh garden veg, beef and avocado as tonight's meal.
    I know tomorrow's dinner will be tasty, but I will miss going through the process.

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