Cooking like the pros
Cooking like the pros
Sara Saleh seeks inspiration from food channels on TV
Not everyone was born to be a mastermind in the kitchen, skilled with knives and flawless with measurements. Whether it is a long-time hobby or just a short stint, cooking in the kitchen can be an enjoyable learning experience that you can make your own with a little help from the pros on TV.
Experimenting with new fun, easy recipes, organising them in a photo book and regularly following recipes on food channels and shows (which are bound to get you motivated to try a new dish) are all ways to set the mood for a sumptous indulgence that is a treat for the eyes and the pallete - even if you are just cooking for one.
Admittedly, most of us do not picture ourselves as the least bit interested in watching people cook on TV. But if you have even the slightest interest in cooking, watching these programmes even briefly is just the push you need.
Everyday ingredients and non-gourmet meals that aren't too complicated to make are usually the main focus of these shows.
The many extra tips that the pros reveal while cooking are also worth quite a bit in the kitchen (Rachel Ray and Tyler Florence are particularly useful in this department).
Seeing the pros do it, the steps they go through, tools they use, special ingredients they prefer and tested techniques they employ makes a lot more sense that just reading a printed recipe.
It is a lot more fun watching how things are done. This can make all the difference in bettering and simplifying a recipe - whether an exact copy or one you want to adapt and call your own.
If you miss the programmes on TV, you can always watch the videos online during a study break. In no time will people be asking you for another batch of brownies and your own special written recipe .
The food channel junkie bit, of course, will be your well kept secret.
We love ...
Food Fix: Beans
Cereal, cereal and more cereal. When it seems like that's all you're ever having for breakfast, then a change is certainly called for.
Pancakes and waffles should only be a once-a-week treat, so the best alternative is an English breakfast of steaming baked beans on grilled toast.
Filling and nutritious, beans contain the necessary fibre to get your digestive system going. They keep you from feeling peckish and having your snacking habits go awry. For that extra juice, add some fresh tomatoes on the side.
We recommend:
English-Italian Trifle
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups milk (whole or skimmed)
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- Vanilla bean, split
- 7 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 5 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 oz unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
- 24 small Italian ladyfingers
- 1/2 cup sweet citrus juice
Procedure:
- STEP 1: In a large saucepan, combine the milk and lemon zest.
- STEP 2: Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean, and then add the seeds and bean to the pan. Simmer over medium-high heat (do not boil).
- STEP 3: In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks, flour, and sugar and whisk until the mixture is pale yellow.
- STEP 4: Gradually pour half of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return the mixture back to the saucepan along with the remaining milk and cook over high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
- STEP 5: Remove the vanilla bean. Pour half the cream into a stainless-steel bowl and set in an ice bath to cool.
- STEP 6: Stir the cocoa and chocolate into the remaining pastry cream, making sure that the chocolate is completely melted.
- STEP 7: Pour the chocolate cream into another bowl and set over an ice bath to cool. Whisk the creams occasionally as they cool.
- STEP 8: Split each ladyfinger in half and sprinkle with the citrus juice.
- STEP 9: Place a layer of the soaked ladyfingers in a large glass serving bowl and top with a layer of the vanilla pastry cream, another layer of ladyfingers, and a layer of the chocolate cream. Repeat the layering until all ingredients are used.
- STEP 10: Cover and refrigerate for an hour before serving.
The writer is an International Student Correspondent for NOTES, studying at the University of Sydney, Australia
