Q&A

q: i’m a bad cook. can you teach me?

a: teach yourself. most of the girls who have asked me this question have actually never tried. don’t be afraid to make mistakes! it’s no big deal. your friends won’t stop loving you because you burnt your sauce.

q: no, but seriously. i need help. who can teach me how to cook?

a: i’m actually attending a day at the culinary institute of america with my mom in may for our birthdays. they offer a bunch of different kinds of classes you can go to. i think the one we are going to is around $250, which isn’t terrible. just be sure to sign up far in advance. classes fill up quickly.

q: i don’t have time to make an entire meal, but i’m hungry! what should i do?

a: martha stewart‘s web site has a great section about “power snacks” that i really enjoy. my favorite right now is a slice of whole wheat toast topped with almond butter and pear slices. drizzle a little honey over the top for a little extra sweetness.

q: kitchen stuff is too expensive. how am i supposed to make a meal without all these fancy gadgets?

a: the five most important tools to have in your kitchen are 1.) a sharp knife, 2.) a medium sized bowl, 3.) a baking pan, 4.) a medium sized skillet and 5.) a spoon. you can make about 90 percent of recipes using only these 5 things. measuring utensils are nice, but you can usually eyeball it and it won’t affect the taste too much. also, check out t.j. maxx for kitchen schwag on the cheap.

q: i hate peeling potatoes. can you make it more fun for me?

a: no. i also hate peeling potatoes. but the good news is that you don’t have to spend so long making sure every little bit of skin comes off. the skin is actually a good source of fiber, among other things. so get lazy!

q: when i went to the store i was hungry/i was not paying attention/there was a sale and i bought entirely too much meat. what the hell do i do with it?

a: freeze it. duh. according to the food safety and inspection service (a government entity), freezing meat keeps food safe for almost forever. just don’t forget what you have in there. if you have too many chickens in your freezer, you won’t have room for ice cream!

q: i always make a huge mess when i cook and i hate cleaning it up! how do you stand it?

a: my mom is the messiest cook in the universe. she uses about twice as many spoons, four times as many knives and a million times as many bowls as she needs. so first of all, use only as many kitchen items as you need. a spoon/knife isn’t dirty until you drop it on the floor. next, utilize your down time. if something’s just simmering or chilling out in the oven, use that time to wash your dirty stuff. if all else fails, cook for some friends and make them clean up as payment.

q: do i have to trim asparagus with a knife?

a: no. just hold at the top and the bottom and the asparagus will naturally snap where it’s meant to.

q: should i get fresh or frozen produce?

a: it depends. for a lot of things, fresh is best. i always try to use canned tomatoes when possible, however, because they contain more lycopene than fresh tomatoes. lycopene consumption is rumored to prevent cancer, so whatever you gotta do to get ahead. and to be honest, frozen veggies never hurt anyone either. it’s cheaper and it won’t go bad, so it’s a great alternative for the college kid.

q: can you post more healthy meals on your blog?

a: do you think paula deen is gonna stop cooking with so much butter? would julia child eat anything without a sauce? absolutely not. i cook what i want and if you don’t like it, start your own blog. and send me a link!

q: do you have any tips for getting the skin off garlic and onions? it’s so tedious.

a: yes. for garlic, simply put your knife flat over the thing and hit it with the palm of your hand. the skin falls right off (here’s a video). for onions, chop off the top and the bottom horizontally, put it flat side down on a cutting board and cut down the middle. the layers should be exposed, and you can peel off the top layer along with the skin.