MeerB
Veteran
Hi to all,
I spent quite a bit of time looking around on Google for a good cooking/food forum, and I just didn't feel that any of them were 'right', And then I discovered 'GoodFood'. What I really like about the forum, is that the forum has everything neatly organised into sub-forums which will make searching for what I want so much easier. So, I'm sorry to say I may be around here a while, posting my own ideas, and probably asking some questions, too.
A bit about me. (Some of which I've put in my profile).
I'm not sure how to put this, but, I was rather brought up in a privileged environment with regard to food/cooking. As a boy back in the 60's, I wasn't expected to help out in the kitchen, yet enjoyed fine food from lobster to pheasant to caviar. By the time I left school, I hardly knew what a kitchen was, and could only just about make toast. Boiling an egg was way beyond me.
As so often happens, rich thick parents produce poor thick offspring, and I was no exception. As my father said to me in his later days 'Peter, I've had a lot of pleasure in life making money and spending it, and I don't intend to deprive you of that pleasure'. I soon came to realise what he meant, and as the bank manager was on my case, I sought part-time employment in an Italian Trattoria working initially as a silver service waiter. Best thing that ever happened to me!!! Often it was just me and the owner/chef running the place. I was 'out front' but also helping with the cooking at times. I learnt the basics, and also a fair amount about 'presentation'. This eventually gelled with what I'd had as a youngster. I spent four wonderful years in that restaurant before, sadly, the owner died.
I moved on and over the years became known within my immediate family as 'He can cook....'. At times I'd do something simple. Other times I'd cook in a domestic kitchen for 20 people. Then it progressed to doing 'off-site' parties of buffets with platters to suit all tastes. That was tricky but fun.
Eventually, when I got married and had children, things changed a bit for a while. A full time job and young children is hard work, and apart from the occasional foray into something special, I just contented myself with doing the family cooking 'as needed'.
Then this year I was made redundant and found myself looking after the house, doing the shopping, and consequently the cooking all the time.
Which brings me up to date with where I am. My father once told me that you eat with all your senses. Of course, taste and smell, but also appearance, sound and feel. For example - toast. Freshly made it should be evenly toasted (colour), crisp but not too crisp, smells freshly toasted and feels right when you bit into it. If the toast is soggy or has been left too long, you're robbed of the best of it. Simple analogy but one I hope makes the point.
These days, at home cooking for my family, there are days when all they want is sausages, mash and beans. Fine. I knock that out without spending any time worrying about it.. However some days they have something special. It could be something like lamb chops. Anything that's a bit special I go to work on. I seek to cook the whole dish, including sides, to the point of absolute perfection. And that includes presentation. So everything gets served on fine white china with the best silver on a nicely set table with cloth and napkins. I work hard to even cook broccoli so that the stems get cooked without the florets getting mushy. Sauces have to perfect. Enough said.
What I hope to bring to the forum is a range of tips I employ to produce these fine details. At the same time I'll be scouring the forums (in the organised sub-categories) to pick up other people's tips to further delight those I cook for.
I look forward to this and in the meantime, wish all 'bon appetite!!'.
Pete
I spent quite a bit of time looking around on Google for a good cooking/food forum, and I just didn't feel that any of them were 'right', And then I discovered 'GoodFood'. What I really like about the forum, is that the forum has everything neatly organised into sub-forums which will make searching for what I want so much easier. So, I'm sorry to say I may be around here a while, posting my own ideas, and probably asking some questions, too.
A bit about me. (Some of which I've put in my profile).
I'm not sure how to put this, but, I was rather brought up in a privileged environment with regard to food/cooking. As a boy back in the 60's, I wasn't expected to help out in the kitchen, yet enjoyed fine food from lobster to pheasant to caviar. By the time I left school, I hardly knew what a kitchen was, and could only just about make toast. Boiling an egg was way beyond me.
As so often happens, rich thick parents produce poor thick offspring, and I was no exception. As my father said to me in his later days 'Peter, I've had a lot of pleasure in life making money and spending it, and I don't intend to deprive you of that pleasure'. I soon came to realise what he meant, and as the bank manager was on my case, I sought part-time employment in an Italian Trattoria working initially as a silver service waiter. Best thing that ever happened to me!!! Often it was just me and the owner/chef running the place. I was 'out front' but also helping with the cooking at times. I learnt the basics, and also a fair amount about 'presentation'. This eventually gelled with what I'd had as a youngster. I spent four wonderful years in that restaurant before, sadly, the owner died.
I moved on and over the years became known within my immediate family as 'He can cook....'. At times I'd do something simple. Other times I'd cook in a domestic kitchen for 20 people. Then it progressed to doing 'off-site' parties of buffets with platters to suit all tastes. That was tricky but fun.
Eventually, when I got married and had children, things changed a bit for a while. A full time job and young children is hard work, and apart from the occasional foray into something special, I just contented myself with doing the family cooking 'as needed'.
Then this year I was made redundant and found myself looking after the house, doing the shopping, and consequently the cooking all the time.
Which brings me up to date with where I am. My father once told me that you eat with all your senses. Of course, taste and smell, but also appearance, sound and feel. For example - toast. Freshly made it should be evenly toasted (colour), crisp but not too crisp, smells freshly toasted and feels right when you bit into it. If the toast is soggy or has been left too long, you're robbed of the best of it. Simple analogy but one I hope makes the point.
These days, at home cooking for my family, there are days when all they want is sausages, mash and beans. Fine. I knock that out without spending any time worrying about it.. However some days they have something special. It could be something like lamb chops. Anything that's a bit special I go to work on. I seek to cook the whole dish, including sides, to the point of absolute perfection. And that includes presentation. So everything gets served on fine white china with the best silver on a nicely set table with cloth and napkins. I work hard to even cook broccoli so that the stems get cooked without the florets getting mushy. Sauces have to perfect. Enough said.
What I hope to bring to the forum is a range of tips I employ to produce these fine details. At the same time I'll be scouring the forums (in the organised sub-categories) to pick up other people's tips to further delight those I cook for.
I look forward to this and in the meantime, wish all 'bon appetite!!'.
Pete
