While I’ve never been the best cook in the world, living away from home has made me more competent in the kitchen. However, when I was getting started, it was a bit difficult to form a “base” of meals from which I could expand upon.
However, LifeHacker posted a great roundup of ten meals and drinks that everyone should know how to cook, and it’s definitely a step in the right direction, as far as variety goes. I’m still in the process of expanding my repertoire past “meat, veggies, starch,” so this definitely helped me out.
The site’s got some great recipes, including some homemade guacamole that I’m definitely going to have to try when I get home. As a fan of nachos (or well, in moderation), I’m definitely curious as to how to add my own stylings to the mix.
“Now if you were to take braising itself and learn the basics, (like adding your veg and starch, browning, adding tomato paste and flour making your roux and simmering the product until it is heavenly tender,) you will learn not just a recipe but a technique, and you’ll be able to add protein, vegetables and starches and make it your own. A lot of what I see in recipes is that the user is so focused on following the recipe they do not focus on the important basics. I think this is how real creativity and cooking is born; it is also the corner stone on which all culinary students are taught.”
