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Cooking Basics (Part 2)
The control of waste is an vital aspect of cooking, which is part of household management. One of the first items to realize whilst contemplating waste is the distinction between waste and refuse. Waste is the disposal of something that could have been eaten, whereas refuse is the disposal of something that could not have been consumed.
This is an important distinction, because there is little you can do about something like, say, egg shells, yet if you buy so many eggs that half of them go bad before you can use them, it is a different question. Over purchasing is tough, especially if you endeavour to do most of your shopping in one go.
The secret to wasting less is in experience and knowledge. For instance, if beef rises above a particular cost an inexpert cook might decide to purchase pork or lamb, yet the choice is not that simple, because there is much more inedible fat in pork and lamb than there is in lean beef.
After poor selection of products, the next largest source of waste is selecting the wrong way of preparing or cooking the food. Peeling too thick or cooking at too high heat are good examples of this difficulty.
A successful week's menu ought to supply all the nutrients, vitamins and fibre that a person requires. We do not have to eat all vitamins and all nutrients every day, but there are some that we ought to eat each day and we ought to eat enough fibre each day too. This is not difficult to set up. Experts recommend eating five portions of fruit and vegetables every day, but maybe the skill comes in providing variation to prevent boredom.
Some individuals can accomplish this variation fairly intuitively, but for the rest of us there is another line of attack and it is known as planning. You can easily plan your meals for a week before you go shopping. Planning your meals like this will also save you money, because it discourages impulse purchasing. If you still have an issue with impulse buying, order your groceries through the Internet.
Two good tips for keeping costs down but for still providing variety were also largely ostracized in the Seventies and Eighties, and which are also experiencing a come-back now are: eating seasonal, local food and preparing three (or at least two) course meals.
Local seasonal ingredients are cheaper than stuff flown in from half-way around the world (or ought to be) and starting dinner off with soup and a bread roll and finishing it with a dessert means that you do not need to eat so much of the main course, which is usually the most expensive of the three courses.
This is an important distinction, because there is little you can do about something like, say, egg shells, yet if you buy so many eggs that half of them go bad before you can use them, it is a different question. Over purchasing is tough, especially if you endeavour to do most of your shopping in one go.
The secret to wasting less is in experience and knowledge. For instance, if beef rises above a particular cost an inexpert cook might decide to purchase pork or lamb, yet the choice is not that simple, because there is much more inedible fat in pork and lamb than there is in lean beef.
After poor selection of products, the next largest source of waste is selecting the wrong way of preparing or cooking the food. Peeling too thick or cooking at too high heat are good examples of this difficulty.
A successful week's menu ought to supply all the nutrients, vitamins and fibre that a person requires. We do not have to eat all vitamins and all nutrients every day, but there are some that we ought to eat each day and we ought to eat enough fibre each day too. This is not difficult to set up. Experts recommend eating five portions of fruit and vegetables every day, but maybe the skill comes in providing variation to prevent boredom.
Some individuals can accomplish this variation fairly intuitively, but for the rest of us there is another line of attack and it is known as planning. You can easily plan your meals for a week before you go shopping. Planning your meals like this will also save you money, because it discourages impulse purchasing. If you still have an issue with impulse buying, order your groceries through the Internet.
Two good tips for keeping costs down but for still providing variety were also largely ostracized in the Seventies and Eighties, and which are also experiencing a come-back now are: eating seasonal, local food and preparing three (or at least two) course meals.
Local seasonal ingredients are cheaper than stuff flown in from half-way around the world (or ought to be) and starting dinner off with soup and a bread roll and finishing it with a dessert means that you do not need to eat so much of the main course, which is usually the most expensive of the three courses.
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If you would like to know more about Welsh food, food in general or cooking eggs in particular, please visit Traditional Welsh Recipes