loneliness + cooking = happiness

[Yeast]

When I retired I found myself somewhat isolated. I'm working to change this but in the mean time I'm constantly researching new recipes. I've cooked for myself all my life. When I was a child I made delicious roast banana and honey in an EZ-Bake oven if any of you can remember these toys. I suppose my parents got it for my sister but I was the one who learned how to use it. The heating element was an incandescent light bulb, but it really worked. 15 years later I remember the fried egg and blueberry pancakes I made for myself every other morning. I doubt I could eat such a big meal these days. I drifted away into middle age and mother's crock pot made some really delicious beef stew and also beans, onions and smoked pork neck bones. I learned the magic of cast iron. Properly seasoned it is far superior to Teflon. It's comforting to know my mother's fry pan is older than I am. My latest acquisition is a 14 inch cast iron wok.  One might think it was made in China but was in fact manufactured in Tennessee. Ironic, no? I can't imagine the amount of aluminum, Teflon coated cookware the Chinese offer. The last time I was in LA I got an enameled aluminum fry pan in an Asian grocery store. Unusual, but great for frying ground meat, although I am just as apt to use the cast iron fry pan. Plastic spatula or stainless steel? I do hope they are not jealous of one another. I've yet to experience a finer kitchen utensil for browning meat than my new wok. It retains heat perfectly but requires at least 5 minutes to warm up. Perhaps a few of my fellow aces might like to share their recipes, if not here then perhaps in a new forum, if perhaps it doesn't already exist.  

 

Bon appetite!

 

 

 

[WinterWanderer]

I live alone and cooking is one of my go-to hobbies, as well. It's fun, challenging, and somehow relaxing at the same time.

 

I can't add much to your interest in cast-irons and works, as I have yet to buy either.  (I know, I know, I'm missing out.)

 

Lately, I've been buying vegetables that I've never cooked with or eaten before, and figuring out how to cook them. Parsnips, turnips, bean sprouts, things like that. I've figured out that pretty much any veggie tastes phenomenal when roasted in the oven. I've also been trying to find soup recipes that don't taste bland. A couple weeks ago, I found a clam chowder recipe that was so amazing, I'm thinking of making more next week.

 

I'm interested to see what other people add to this thread. I know of a few other AVENites who also love to try out new things in the kitchen.

[Chimeric]

My dad got me a cast iron dutch oven for Christmas a couple of years ago - I love that thing. I routinely use it for things dutch ovens shouldn't be used for, because it's my only piece of cast iron equipment. 

 

My partner and I are in a long distance relationship so one of the things we sometimes do is "cook" for each other (via copious pics and video clips). He's discovered recently that vegans are literal magicians when it comes to making food, so even though neither of us are vegans, we've been playing with vegan recipes, just to see what we can do.

 

I made teriyaki "chicken" with canned jackfruit tonight, for example...

 

It needs tweaking, I couldn't quite get it right (full disclosure: I put way too much salt on it, it was all me), but it's fun experimenting.

 

One of my fave weekly chores is baking bread, too. These days I use a bread machine (it's just too easy). I chuck everything in on Sunday night, and wake up to the best smelling apartment on Monday morning. I struggle to finish the loaf before it goes bad, though - the dogs are getting fat because of it. 

 

Woks are one of my fave cooking dishes. I dunno what it is about them, but they cook things just, perfectly right. I didn't realize they came in cast iron; I'll keep an eye out for them!

[will123]

I hate cooking! Before my brother moved out of my house when he got married, he cooked and I did the dishes.

[Muledeer]

I enjoy cooking for myself.  I like to prepare one-dish meals that provide leftovers.  Then I eat the leftovers until they are gone, within a week.  I like hearty dishes like soups, stews and chili.  I also like meat and rice or meat and potato dishes.  Usually try to cook vegetables fresh (or frozen) for each meal and I cook enough veggies to share with my dog.  I try to grill a cut of meat once a week, bake fish in the oven or on the grill, and I cook roasts and enjoy the leftovers.  I don't usually bake breads or prepare any desert dishes.  During the garden season, I am mostly self-sufficient for my vegetables and growing my own veggies gives me lots of satisfaction.    I eat breakfast food for lunch almost every day.

 

I don't eat out very often.  I would rather know where my food came from and what it contains.  I'm not entirely comfortable dining alone in public, and I am the health inspector who oversees all of the food preparation facilities in my town.

[AndrewT]

I hate cooking for myself, the most complicated I get is slide out of freezer and slide into microwave/oven 

but

 

loneliness + Drinking = I care less

[Selket]

I cook almost exclusively in a wok, and I love it! 

 

I highly recommend getting a pair of longer cooking chopsticks and using those in place of a spatula. That's what I do. Works better with the curved sides of the wok. These are extra-long chopsticks to keep your hands away from spitting oil, and I think sometimes you can find them with heat-resistant silicon tips.