kitchen helpers or equipment

must haves:
sharp knives - whatever size & style you are comfortable with but they need to be kept sharp, so get a knife sharpener too  - knives will be blunted faster by a very hard chopping surface like marble, granite, glass etc
chopping board/surface - one you can lift with one hand, even when it's loaded with chopped stuff
good, heavy bottomed pans - these are a good investment - my mother still uses her 60 year old Le Creuset wedding presents, mine aren't that old but they are among my most precious possessions - i cook on gas so i don't know what the equivalent would be for induction or ceramic hobs
hand-held blender - try for one with a plastic 'head', the metal ones could scratch non-stick pans - excellent for turning leftovers into soups, lump-free sauces, mashing up stuff and plenty more - some come with a whisk and a chopping bowl attachment, also pretty useful for fancier stuff
grater - the flat ones are easiest to clean and store
sieve - metal ones are best as they don't melt if you use them for hot stuff, they also double as colanders or steamers


useful:
food processor - takes the slog out of lots of jobs but it's one more thing to wash up and you'll need storage space for it
coffee grinder - mine has never seen coffee but i use it all the time for spices, nuts, seeds, breadcrumbs.........
steamer pan - the sort with a pan and at least one or two steamer sections to stack on top - i steam most of my vegetables including potatoes, but they are also useful for keeping food warm and you can cook in the pan with or without the steamers on top as well as cooking two foods at the same time but separately ..... a really versatile piece of equipment - they often turn up in charity shops in exellent/new condition

cooking rice - a basic skill

a lot of my dishes involve rice, i use 2 basic methods; boiling and absorption - i have never made risotto the 'proper' way, i'm sure it's worth the effort but i can't be bothered

some sources recommend repeated rinsing and soaking of the rice before cooking - i have tried it but it didn't seem to make a noticeable difference so now i don't bother - i'd like to know if this is a hangover from the days before food processing was so strictly quality controlled

boiled rice

• plain boiled is straightforward and instruction are given on the packet BUT sometimes you need to use your own judgement about how long to cook it for, so check a few grains before the recommended time is up
• if you are going to be adding more ingredients it is often best to undercook rice slightly as it will absorb moisture from the other ingredients
• use lots of water, rice likes plenty of room to swim in! also you are less likely to have to rinse the rice after cooking - it may seem like a waste to boil lots of water for a little rice but it saves having to boil more to reheat the rice after you have rinsed off the excess starch in cold water!
• 'easy cook' rice is more forgiving about timing but tends to need longer cooking - basmati and thai fragrant rices need more precision so use a timer and take it with you if you wander off! 

method: 

• have the rice ready in a bowl and a sieve or colander ready
• bring the water to the boil, tip the rice in and stir well until the water gets back to boiling point - if you don't do this the rice sticks together and to the bottom of the pan
• turn the heat down to a simmer for the time recommended on packaging
• turn off the heat and check a few grain to make sure it is cooked, if it is not ready yet cover it and let it stand for another minute before checking again - if it'is very undercooked you may have to simmer it for a bit longer but keep checking it
• strain in a colander or sieve, return to pan or warmed serving dish and serve

absorption method or pilau rice

•  this uses measured amounts of rice and liquid, the rice absorbs all the liquid during cooking, leaving you with fluffy individual grains. . . . . in theory!
• until you are confident with the pilau method it is best to use plain boiled rice and add other ingredients afterwards, then keep hot or warm to allow the flavours to develop
• a cup of rice is plenty for the two  with hearty appetites - i normally use 1/2 to 1/3 of a cup per person
• for basmati or othe normal white rice i use 1 measure of rice to 11/2 measures of liquid, for risotto and paella rices i use more like 1 : 11/3 - my mum uses 1 measure of rice to 2 measures of liquid - i find her rice mushy although i thought it was perfect for the first 30 years of my life!  she thinks mine is underdone ........ conclusion; you might have to experiment a bit
• if possible use hot liquid, this way it's quicker to get everything to boiling point
• a good heavy bottomed pan is important - it spreads the heat evenly and allows you to turn the heat right down and cook things slowly without burning on the bottom ....usually

method

• heat a little oil or butter and soften a little chopped onion, shallot or whatever other flavourings required
• add the rice and stir to mix everything thoroughly, turn the heat up
• add your hot measured liquid and stir well (to stop the rice from sticking together an to the bottom of the pan)
• as soon as the liquid is boiling give it a final stir, put the lid on and turn the heat down to very low
• cook for 18-35 mins depending on the type of rice - 18 for basmati, a bit longer for risotto or paella rices,  35 for brown 
• at the end of the cooking time your rice should be cooked through, with a little firmness but not gritty - cover the pan with a cloth or kitchen paper and replace the lid, set aside for 15-20 mins before serving - this allows the steam to be absorbed and the rice should fluff up

potential problems:

sloppy gritty rice - needs cooking for longer or possibly at a slightly higher temperature

sloppy mushy rice - too much liquid

gritty rice - not enough liquid - try

some gritty rice on top, cooked underneath - stir in the gritty rice gently, replace the lid and cook for another minute 

rice stuck to bottom of pan and/or burnt - cooked on too high a heat or pan too thin - in Iranian cooking this is done on purpose to produce a crispy crust of rice which is regarded as the best bit, but not when it's burnt!

stash foods 2 - making the most of the freezer

freezers are for much more than frozen veg, pizzas and ready-meals, as any allotment owner or bargain hunter will tell you - we don't all have home grown seasonal gluts but the freezer is great for stashing all sorts of foodie bits instead of throwing away or composting it

frozen vegetables: peas, green beans, sweetcorn - get the biggest packs you can fit in your freezer and use only as much as you need at a time, the rest will keep

bargains from the supermarket reduced shelf, many of them can be frozen as they are, cut/divided/packed into manageable amounts, or cooked up into a dish to be frozen for later

home made meals are often cheaper than bought ones and you know exactly what's in them

• cook more than you need for a meal and freeze the extra as your own 'ready-meals' - saves the bother of starting from scratch each time
• put some aside before serving to avoid the temptation of eating it all at once
• single portions of casseroles, stews, curries, tagines etc can easily be tarted up and stretched to feed more people - think pies, savoury crumble topping, soups, risotto etc
• put portions in squarish containers and transfer them into labeled plastic bags once frozen - this saves space in the freezer and means you can reuse the containers - the plastic bags can be washed and reused too!

leftovers of all sorts of can be frozen in little bundles for adding to soups, casseroles or topping up the next batch you cook -  remember to label them or they turn into UFOs:

• stale bread and crusts - i use loads of these in stuffings, veggie burgers and nut roasty things, for making crispy cheesy toppings, added to crumble mix .....etc - so i either crumble them in the food processor or cut them into cubes and freeze them
• pasta and rice - apart from popping them into soups and stuffings they can be turned into a  whole range of tasty dishes in their own right
• small amounts of cooked vegetables - for making soups, adding to casseroles, stir-fry, bubble & squeak ( i always keep leftover brussels sprouts specially for this)

. . . . . . . . i'll be adding more as i think of it

stash foods - basics

basics

these are the things you should always have in your cupboards so you will always have the makings of a meal handy, also when you look at a new recipe you will already have several of the ingredients - as soon as you run out of any put them straight back onto the shopping list

there's no need to rush out and buy them all at once but bear them in mind when you are shopping and gradually build up your stash

herbs: dried thyme, mint, bay leaves, oregano, sage, dill, rosemary, tarragon

• it's lovely to have fresh herbs but we are not all blessed with green fingers and growing space so i keep a good stock of dried herbs , mostly bought in the same place as my spices
• some herbs freeze really well: parsley, marjoram and sage  i chop and store in small plastic bags, taking what i need and keeping what's left in the freezer - i strip curry leaves from their stems and keep them whole  -   although i have been told that coriander freezes mine turns into a tasteless mush
• i don't add salt to my cooking and use as little fat as possible, to boost the flavours i use more herbs and spices than recipes call for  

spices: coriander, cumin, ginger, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon or cassia bark, cardamoms, cloves, nutmeg and a good curry paste (not sauce), there are lots to choose from and you can always add other spices to them

• where possible buy your spices whole and grind small quantities (a couple of tablespoons) to keep handy - the whole spices keep for ages in a cool place
• if you must buy ground spices they will stay fresher if you keep them in the fridge or freezer
• avoid buying the small bottles from supermarkets, they are soooo expensive - the local shops which stock international ingredients usually have packets of whole and ground spices which are good value,  you can always share them with a friend or neighbour

pasta: i always have quick cook spaghetti and at least one sort of shape in the cupboard

• i avoid shells as they tend to nest into each other forming clumps  and i find the bows are undercooked in the middle if they are aldente around the edges, so they don't make it into the shopping trolley
• i have not yet tasted a fresh pasta which persuaded me that the extra money was well spent - i'll let you know when i do!

rice: long grain e.g. basmati, thai fragrant or easy-cook - short grain e.g. paella or risotto (i find they both work for both dishes so why buy both!)

• cooked rice keeps well in the fridge or freezer but must be stored below 15C - Bacillus cereus spores which occur naturally in rice (and other foods) are activated by the high temperatures of cooking, storing rice at room temperature can allow the spores to multiply and cause food poisoning, these spores are not destroyed by subsequent heating - always cool cooked rice as soon as possible and store it in the fridge or freezer  

pulses: dried or tinned: kidney beans, red lentils, chick peas, haricot beans, borlotti/pinto beans

• i favour dried pulses because i have the time to soak and cook them, but if advanced planning is not your strong point tinned pulses are easier though usually more expensive
• dried pulses do have a shelf-life, the older they are the longer you will need to soak and cook them - so if you don't use them regularly it's probably best to rely on tinned which keep for years 
• pressure cookers are brilliant for cooking pulses fast . . . . if you don't have a mortal fear of them!

tomatoes:

• several tins or cartons of chopped tomatoes - an absolute must in all kitchens, for cooking with they have tons more flavour than almost all fresh ones and they don't need peeling
• sun-dried tomatoes - these seem expensive but they keep for ages and are really useful when good tomatoes are expensive and imported (bad for your carbon footprint) 
• a tube of tomato paste - also keeps for ages and handy for boosting the flavour of tomato dishes as well as other sauces, gravy, soups etc

tinned foods: fish - tuna, salmon, pilchards/sardines in oil or tomato sauce, spam or corned beef, baked beans, mixed beans (see also pulses above)

other: olives in tins or jars, capers, anchovy fillets in oil or salt - once opened these all keep for ages in the fridge and a little of them adds loads of flavour

......... and a supply of basic frozen veg: peas, sweetcorn, green beans - great on their own and always handy for topping up fresh seasonal veg

marmalade . . . and carrots!

i saw dan lepard's recipes in the guardian yesterday and  made these

they were yummy, even though i only made 1/2 the recipe and had to tweak the quantities a bit - easy peasy, have a go

i used my home made marmalade which i have been making for years using the method where you cook the whole fruit first - the method came from Good Food On a Budget by Georgina Horley, it's ancient but all the recipes i've used still work - i have used several combinations of fruit and only in the last five years have i started to include some seville orange -  my taste for bitter foods has developed  only recently, so i always used to make my marmalade with eating oranges + clementines & lemons

sometimes i haven't got enough jam jars when the right fruit are available, so i freeze the fruit once it's cooked - i cook it, slice the peel, chop up the fruit pulp and weigh it, then measure the right amount of liquid and freeze them together with accurate labelling to remind me - when i'm ready i can thaw it, add the sugar (and more fruit if i like) and carry on

here i go

at last i've decided to to something with all the recipes, food info, tips and tricks i've accumulated over the years - i've been blogging about my stitchy stuff for a couple of years now and think i've got the hang of the basics so here goes

anyone who knows me also knows that i am into food, a huge section of my brain is taken up by my food memory - of course that means there's not much room left for important stuff but i'm past caring

i started off as a very organised cook, all my ingredients lined up and ready, measuring precisely and following recipes to the letter - that was fine when i only cooked occasionally, but it rather disintegrated when i needed to have food ready regularly for someone else - although i'm lucky that i've always made food for an appreciative audience and not for an increasing flock of picky eaters

thanks to having parents from france and mauritius i experienced a wonderful range of dishes as soon as i could get food into my mouth - as a child of the fifties in england pasta usually meant tinned spaghetti on toast, for us it came as long strands of hard pale stringy stuff wrapped in blue paper which mum turned into our favourite spaghetti bolognaise or french "coquillettes" with cubes of ham, chopped fresh tomatoes and lots of butter - curries where what mum did with some of our leftover sunday roasts and cheese was smelly and runny as often as possible - shopping for food was a whole different story, with lots of our favourite ingredients unavailable in this country

enough ancient history - i'll probably revisit that occasionally but now i must focus on what i'm doing here .....the aim is to record and share some of the food i cook along with other bits and pieces - i can't promise absolute precision but i will make it clear when it's important to follow the measures or method closely ...... hey ho!