...to cook up a dish at the drop of a hat? While most married friends of mine would say "of course," I'd have to say that I've got plenty of single friends whose kitchens are barer than a plate of already-eaten bones followed by the feasting of dogs (and I'm just not talking in a "Bachelor pad", either). The thing with singles, is were just happy to host parties, because although we may live or be alone, we really are a fun group of people and love the sounds of other humans in our homes! I've been invited to homes where my single friends were forced to "make shift" in order to create the simplest of dishes--whether for grilling or even a simple saute, although the ingredients were there to eat, the goods needed to cook them on, were not...this ought not be so.
I think it's easy to overlook the importance of these staple utensils for many reasons--some singles eat en route to work, for others, their first meal of the day is lunch, which is generally eaten away from home, and for others, dinner is something that takes place at a restaurant of choice with other single friends. What single wants to spend their hard-earned dollar on household items to cook with? "It's bad enough eating at home alone, but to have to invest in kitchenware, too? I'd rather buy shoes!" (Okay, Carrie Bradshaw...with a room full of shoes and no home to show for it). Yes, I've heard this all too many times before--coming from my own mouth, in fact. What a narrow-minded and pitiful attitude I had...no wonder I'm still single!
Well now that I've slightly matured, one of the things I enjoy most about cooking for one, is the downtime and reflection that happens when I've got something on the fire! However, if I would have never decided to "step out" of my comfort zone, I could never have figured this out. How can you know to do something you've never done? Now mind you, I finally decided to step out into the cooking realm after hearing year after year (from my family) how much they loved that oh-so-abused and not-even-a-little-gourmet Green Bean Casserole that I make for Thanksgiving. Granted the recipe is a cinch, but it was after hearing it time and time again, and after receiving a colander from Dean & Deluca from a client that I decided to give it a go! If you don't already have these items, a quick list needs to be made:
Can Opener (Pampered Chef has a brilliant one that opens cans from the side)
Spatula
Serving Spatula
Garlic Press
Mixing Bowl
Batter Bowl
Colander
Thongs (for the tortilla-fryer...is that even spelled right?)
Food Chopper
Grater
Measuring Cup Potato Peeler
Cutting Board
Paring Knife
Egg Separator* (This was a must for me as I'm allergic to egg-yoke)
So now, we work on stocking our home with these basic utensils that no kitchen should lack, no matter how small it may be (unless however, you happen to live in a kitchen-less-studio, which I, of course, almost had the misfortune of moving into not too long ago). Now here comes the fun part...the stocking, aka SHOPPING!!! Since this is something you might be doing for the first time, I would recommend sticking to buying quality items, but for the lowest available price. Yes,it might be tempting to take a trip to the nearest Target or Wal-Mart and pick up something from Oneida or Farberware...DON'T! My advice would be to save those trips for last. There are several ways you can invest in quality cookware/kitchenware without going any deeper in the hole than our economy has already worked so hard to dig. I will list them in order of what worked best for me--again links to information provided will be included at the end.
1. Get key essentials from Pampered Chef. I know they can be pricey, but what worked best for me was hosting a party. If you happened to be a single like me, who loves to entertain, but has nothing with which to host, you can have on online party. From mine I was able to not only receive desired items at a huge discount, but also was able to receive x-amount in free product, in addition to the option to purchase the month's host' item at a really good price. (Here is where I picked up my paring knife, garlic press, egg separator, cutting board, adjustable measuring cup, mixing bowl and chopper--which is great if you're like me and cry easily at the presence of onions).
2. Another thing that has worked for me is visiting the fancier stores specializing in cooking, such as Dean & Deluca, Williams-Sonoma, Crate and Barrel, and check out their sale and clearance items which can sometimes be over 50% off. Because Dean & Deluca is in New York, I have only visited this store once; however, if you're lucky enough to live there, I'd take a trip right away. For those of you in my Cali shoes, their site has a "sale" section that'll keep you're mouth drooling for hours if you let it.
3. Visit your nearest World Market/Cost Plus, or shop online at HSN where you can find some pretty amazing deals on specialty items and cookware! For example, if it's a you need to start cooking in the right direction, HSN features a bistro-set by Wolfgang - the Wolfgang Puck Bistro Elite 10th Anniversary 7-piece Fry-pan Set, for only $109.90 + shipping and handling. And for those of you, who like me, sit in a budget a little tighter than comfy, HSN gives you the option to make two payments, instead, making this a great investment for any chef-in-the-making!
4. It would also be a good idea to visit a store like Marshall's or TJ Maxx, who often carry overstock pieces from the nicer stores, and allow a little breathing room on the pocket book making lay-away possible for you to launch the new chef-you! If you can pay for everything up front, Ross would also work out!
5. My last recommendation and one of my favorite ways to shop for anything these days, is to visit ebay! I was able to purchase, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" at an amazing low price! The options are limitless...all at the stroke of a key!
I was going to suggest investing in a cookbook that jives with your taste buds. While some may lean towards Mexican, Asian, Greek or Italian Cooking, there are also some great books catered to grilling, sauteing, vegetarians and the list goes on and on and on--a trip to your nearby Borders might help launch you to your next level of cooking; but if I were you, I might see what online recipes I can find. They're quick, fun to read and free! So what are you waiting for? It's time to get crackin'--holidays are around the corner and you've got meals to make!
Until next time...treat yourself to some Pumpkin Ice Cream--I'm going to!
~Cyndi, 39
Anaheim, CA
Links to cooking resources:
Pampered Chef parties online: http://www.pamperedchef.biz/smgenin?page=home
Online Recipes: http://www.epicurious.com/recipesmenus/quickeasy/recipes
Wolfgang Puck's Bistro Set: http://kitchen-dining.hsn.com/wolfgang-puck-bistro-elite-10th-anniversary-7-piece-frypan-set_p-4358111_xp.aspx?webm_id=0&web_id=4358111&sf=qc&attr=1845&ocm=QC%7C1845&prev=hp!sf!1845&ccm=QC%7C1845
I think it's easy to overlook the importance of these staple utensils for many reasons--some singles eat en route to work, for others, their first meal of the day is lunch, which is generally eaten away from home, and for others, dinner is something that takes place at a restaurant of choice with other single friends. What single wants to spend their hard-earned dollar on household items to cook with? "It's bad enough eating at home alone, but to have to invest in kitchenware, too? I'd rather buy shoes!" (Okay, Carrie Bradshaw...with a room full of shoes and no home to show for it). Yes, I've heard this all too many times before--coming from my own mouth, in fact. What a narrow-minded and pitiful attitude I had...no wonder I'm still single!
Well now that I've slightly matured, one of the things I enjoy most about cooking for one, is the downtime and reflection that happens when I've got something on the fire! However, if I would have never decided to "step out" of my comfort zone, I could never have figured this out. How can you know to do something you've never done? Now mind you, I finally decided to step out into the cooking realm after hearing year after year (from my family) how much they loved that oh-so-abused and not-even-a-little-gourmet Green Bean Casserole that I make for Thanksgiving. Granted the recipe is a cinch, but it was after hearing it time and time again, and after receiving a colander from Dean & Deluca from a client that I decided to give it a go! If you don't already have these items, a quick list needs to be made:
Can Opener (Pampered Chef has a brilliant one that opens cans from the side)
Spatula
Serving Spatula
Garlic Press
Mixing Bowl
Batter Bowl
Colander
Thongs (for the tortilla-fryer...is that even spelled right?)
Food Chopper
Grater
Measuring Cup Potato Peeler
Cutting Board
Paring Knife
Egg Separator* (This was a must for me as I'm allergic to egg-yoke)
So now, we work on stocking our home with these basic utensils that no kitchen should lack, no matter how small it may be (unless however, you happen to live in a kitchen-less-studio, which I, of course, almost had the misfortune of moving into not too long ago). Now here comes the fun part...the stocking, aka SHOPPING!!! Since this is something you might be doing for the first time, I would recommend sticking to buying quality items, but for the lowest available price. Yes,it might be tempting to take a trip to the nearest Target or Wal-Mart and pick up something from Oneida or Farberware...DON'T! My advice would be to save those trips for last. There are several ways you can invest in quality cookware/kitchenware without going any deeper in the hole than our economy has already worked so hard to dig. I will list them in order of what worked best for me--again links to information provided will be included at the end.
1. Get key essentials from Pampered Chef. I know they can be pricey, but what worked best for me was hosting a party. If you happened to be a single like me, who loves to entertain, but has nothing with which to host, you can have on online party. From mine I was able to not only receive desired items at a huge discount, but also was able to receive x-amount in free product, in addition to the option to purchase the month's host' item at a really good price. (Here is where I picked up my paring knife, garlic press, egg separator, cutting board, adjustable measuring cup, mixing bowl and chopper--which is great if you're like me and cry easily at the presence of onions).
2. Another thing that has worked for me is visiting the fancier stores specializing in cooking, such as Dean & Deluca, Williams-Sonoma, Crate and Barrel, and check out their sale and clearance items which can sometimes be over 50% off. Because Dean & Deluca is in New York, I have only visited this store once; however, if you're lucky enough to live there, I'd take a trip right away. For those of you in my Cali shoes, their site has a "sale" section that'll keep you're mouth drooling for hours if you let it.
3. Visit your nearest World Market/Cost Plus, or shop online at HSN where you can find some pretty amazing deals on specialty items and cookware! For example, if it's a you need to start cooking in the right direction, HSN features a bistro-set by Wolfgang - the Wolfgang Puck Bistro Elite 10th Anniversary 7-piece Fry-pan Set, for only $109.90 + shipping and handling. And for those of you, who like me, sit in a budget a little tighter than comfy, HSN gives you the option to make two payments, instead, making this a great investment for any chef-in-the-making!
4. It would also be a good idea to visit a store like Marshall's or TJ Maxx, who often carry overstock pieces from the nicer stores, and allow a little breathing room on the pocket book making lay-away possible for you to launch the new chef-you! If you can pay for everything up front, Ross would also work out!
5. My last recommendation and one of my favorite ways to shop for anything these days, is to visit ebay! I was able to purchase, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" at an amazing low price! The options are limitless...all at the stroke of a key!
I was going to suggest investing in a cookbook that jives with your taste buds. While some may lean towards Mexican, Asian, Greek or Italian Cooking, there are also some great books catered to grilling, sauteing, vegetarians and the list goes on and on and on--a trip to your nearby Borders might help launch you to your next level of cooking; but if I were you, I might see what online recipes I can find. They're quick, fun to read and free! So what are you waiting for? It's time to get crackin'--holidays are around the corner and you've got meals to make!
Until next time...treat yourself to some Pumpkin Ice Cream--I'm going to!
~Cyndi, 39
Anaheim, CA
Links to cooking resources:
Pampered Chef parties online: http://www.pamperedchef.biz/smgenin?page=home
Online Recipes: http://www.epicurious.com/recipesmenus/quickeasy/recipes
Wolfgang Puck's Bistro Set: http://kitchen-dining.hsn.com/wolfgang-puck-bistro-elite-10th-anniversary-7-piece-frypan-set_p-4358111_xp.aspx?webm_id=0&web_id=4358111&sf=qc&attr=1845&ocm=QC%7C1845&prev=hp!sf!1845&ccm=QC%7C1845
Comments
Hopefully your article will start others down the path of great meal preparation.
yogiwan
Your Smart Kitchen