ceblanier's Profile

I cringed at the idea of networking and shots in general. How old are you?

this is my fave measuring cup as well!

Although I think learning to roast a chicken is vital to personal development, I've found that I can buy one already cooked for the cheaper than a fresh chicken. Not as magically delicious, but time is money, people!

My advice would be try to teach basic cooking skills and apply them to economical recipes. Once you know how to soak and cook beans, you can make soups, chili, stews, dal, casseroles and so much more. Other ingredients that pack bang for the buck include cabbage, ground turkey, eggs, boneless skinless chicken thighs, and pasta. After learning the basics of cooking (reading and following a recipe, knife skills, meat temps. how to cook eggs and pasta) I would maybe see if you could take them on a field trip to the grocery store to see the cost-effectiveness of buying whole, seasonal ingredients. Maybe some menu planning as well. Having been on a fixed income I cannot stress the importance of learning how to shop sales and stock up the pantry and freezer while you have money.

When I moved in with my future husband, he thought the amazing cook he had dated had vanished. I burned cookies, eggs...everything. It turned out that his prehistoric bachelor oven hadn't been calibrated, but the electric stove was harder to adjust to. The lifting the pot thing helps but the thing that took me a while to cope with was when we again switched from coil to the glass top. (a used gift from the in-laws) That mofo takes FOREVER to boil water. I hate it with all the passion I can muster for an appliance.

Once we get out of the bachelor pad, I plan on going to induction, but til then I've gotten mostly used to electric.

I'd definitely pair it with a goat cheese or a blue, either on a salad or with crackers.

I love the processed foods trend here, but despite growing up on kid kuisine and it's ilk, I don't really crave it much. Of course I love ramen on occasion and every once in a while I want a wonderbread and skippy sandwich with honey. But my favorite foods from childhood are still my favorites now: chicken and dumplings, fried okra, spaghetti bolognese, pecan pie.

And a coke over crushed/pellet ice, what can I say. Native Atlantan.

If you're really an amateur, I recommend doctoring a box cake. Choose a mix described as "moist" and add one small box of Jello cheesecake flavored pudding mix. Make the frosting from scratch (i love swiss or french buttercream) and put the strawberries and bananas on top of layer 1 then add the frosting filling. This will allow the berries to seep into the cake a bit for extra moisture.

Lasagna would be my go-to. Everyone seems to like it and you can play with the style to make it feel special. It's easy to reheat as well. Add a salad and a dessert and you're done.

The most important aspect will be plating. Make sure that whatever you prepare will look as good as it tastes. Think about garnishes, look at the texture and colors on the plate. This is what separates home-cooking from the gourmet.

Ganache is fast and almost idot-proof. I think it's nice to pair the permanent with the temporary so maybe package your ganache with a nice ice cream scoop, or some farmer's mkt jelly and honey with a vintage serving piece.

My favorite Lebanese place told me that they add mint and anise to black tea to make their delicious iced tea. I'm very anti-licorice, but the herbal kick of the anise cuts the sweetness. Very quenching.