blue_eyes's Profile

I have a friend who swears by "drunk bananas." He carries a banana around with him while drinking, then eats it right before bed (along with plenty of water). I tried it one time when I came home from a night of drinking to discover the fruit vendor by my house was still out on his corner well past midnight.

Gin and tonic is my go to drink. But tequila ginger ale sounds tasty, I'll have to try it.

We eat a lot of hard boiled eggs and fruits and veggies over Passover. For dinners I will make matzah pizza, fried eggs, or matzah brei. We also eat plenty of tuna salad. Like you, we eat meat rarely, but we usually eat more meat than normal over Passover because it's tasty and filling.

I have the lunchbox from this set. They were selling them for $5 last year at Home Goods. It's very sturdy and it's lasted really well. I've had it for about a year and a half now and it's still going strong. I like that it stands upright on it's own so my containers don't get turned upside down in transit. I'm a teacher and graduate student so like you I'm often packing one or two meals plus snacks and this lunchbox has plenty of space.

http://www.amazon.com/Sachi-Paisley-Insulated-Tote-Set/dp/B005F5LH2U/ref=sr_1_29?ie=UTF8&qid=1363220052&sr=8-29&keywords=sachi+lunch+box

I like Grocery IQ for the reasons others mentioned. I haven't actually tried syncing it with my partner, but it's really useful for organizing my grocery list. You can make lists by store and it organizes everything by aisle.

Cooking is one of my favorite ways to show love for the people in my life.

When I set up my own home I knew I wanted quality knives, but I was on a budget, so I only bought three: serrated/bread knife, paring knife, and 8" chef's knife. We keep kosher and rarely eat meat, so these knives are only for vegetarian food. I chose the 8" chef's knife so I would be able to easily cut large produce like melons and squash. That said, my dad got me a 6" chef's knife for my last birthday and it's quickly become my favorite. I can't imagine ever needing more than the four knives I have, and because they are all high quality they should last for many years to come.

I'm also a fan of the "whack it with a spoon method" that @ma912 mentioned. Very fast and easy and you don't have to drain the seeds when you're done.

Ask them! I'm assuming you're teaching this class through some kind of organization, so try asking some of their clients about their favorite foods. Then ask them where they shop and what kind of kitchen appliances they have access to. For people who aren't used to cooking you should try to make foods they are really excited about eating to encourage them try it on their own. I would also recommend giving them copies of each recipe with very explicit instructions and photos of each step.

In terms of specific foods, I would do a lot with beans - red beans and rice, chili, bean burritos, etc. I would also teach them how to brown ground beef because it is a great starter for lots of casseroles, pasta sauces, and soups. Ground beef is great because you'll get lots of meaty flavor but you can stretch a small amount for many meals.

One specific recipe to try would be taco soup. Brown ground beef in a stew pot, add taco seasoning (or just chili powder), add canned green beans, white beans and kidney beans with their liquid. You can also add frozen corn, and a chopped onion. Let simmer for 30min to an hour and you have a delicious meaty, spicy soup that was super easy to make. I know you're probably trying to avoid canned items, but they are readily available to most people and will make the cooking seem less intimidating and time consuming to new cooks.

Just received the copy of Jerusalem I purchased for my fiance's sister and I had to page through it before I wrapped it. The pictures are gorgeous and the essays about the food add a whole new level of depth beyond just the recipes. I first heard of this book on The Kitchn, so thanks for the great recommendation!