Now we're cooking. Inspired by the domesticities one encounters all around
this time of year, last night (with Caterina's help), I cooked chili -- of
the no-meat variety, of course. It's one of the few things in my short
no-recipe repertoire that contains more than two ingredients, though I
always prepare it differently. I was very pleased with the result. As much
as I often dismiss the idea of cooking for one of my single stature,
adequate funds, and, well, general lack of interest in the activity,
especially in consideration of the infinite number of work-related tasks I
usually consider more worthy of my time, I must concede that it can be a
worthwhile activity. Not only is preparing a tasty meal from scratch
potentially self-satisfying, healthful, and economically advantageous, it
can also be quite time-efficient -- even for one with easy convenience to
restaurants and the heat-em-up-and-go type provisions available at local
markets. While not always the case, something like chili soup, constituting
an entire meal (accessorized, of course, with crackers and crunchy peanut
butter) can be prepared in under a half hour -- plus shopping and simmering
time -- and in a large enough batch to last several days (improving in
flavor over time, I might add). Utilizing the convenience of the microwave
oven for reheating makes each meal a snap. If one has a big enough pot, the
meals can be stretched into weeks or more by going to the slight extra work of freezing the
result in meal-size portions. Overall, the time investment per meal is
significantly less than many less-satisfying forms of repast one might
normally consider "less work." I shall remember this "cooking" idea more
frequently in the future (as, I recall, I have said in the past, on some of
the few occasions I have ventured out of my eating out, veggie burger, or
frozen Amy's pizza routine ;-).
this time of year, last night (with Caterina's help), I cooked chili -- of
the no-meat variety, of course. It's one of the few things in my short
no-recipe repertoire that contains more than two ingredients, though I
always prepare it differently. I was very pleased with the result. As much
as I often dismiss the idea of cooking for one of my single stature,
adequate funds, and, well, general lack of interest in the activity,
especially in consideration of the infinite number of work-related tasks I
usually consider more worthy of my time, I must concede that it can be a
worthwhile activity. Not only is preparing a tasty meal from scratch
potentially self-satisfying, healthful, and economically advantageous, it
can also be quite time-efficient -- even for one with easy convenience to
restaurants and the heat-em-up-and-go type provisions available at local
markets. While not always the case, something like chili soup, constituting
an entire meal (accessorized, of course, with crackers and crunchy peanut
butter) can be prepared in under a half hour -- plus shopping and simmering
time -- and in a large enough batch to last several days (improving in
flavor over time, I might add). Utilizing the convenience of the microwave
oven for reheating makes each meal a snap. If one has a big enough pot, the
meals can be stretched into weeks or more by going to the slight extra work of freezing the
result in meal-size portions. Overall, the time investment per meal is
significantly less than many less-satisfying forms of repast one might
normally consider "less work." I shall remember this "cooking" idea more
frequently in the future (as, I recall, I have said in the past, on some of
the few occasions I have ventured out of my eating out, veggie burger, or
frozen Amy's pizza routine ;-).