FOOD

Wednesday, September 13,

1991 - North Shore News ~- 53

Novices need to follow a few simple rules

MOST |. PEOPLE enjoy

cating — obviously some of

us more than others. How-
ever, many people frankly
detest cooking. I suspect
some early failures could be
the culprit — and some
kind relative or spouse
remarking, ‘‘Yuk! You ex-
pect anyone to eat thar?”’

Barbara
McCreadie

BUDGET BEATERS

If you're a novice in ihe kitch-
en, you can become skilled almost
overnight: if you follow a few
simple rules:

* Buy yourself a reliable, small
basic cookbook. Five Roses Flour
produces a classic containing
everything an amateur needs to
know but not an overwhelming
mass of information such as big
volumes like the ‘Joy of Cook-
ing’.

* Read the entire recipe
you start.

° A messy kitchen puts any cook
off her feed. Start with the place
clean, Before you start to cook,
take out every item you'll need.
As you build your product, pur
each item away.

© Keep a sinkful of soapy water
and wash up us you go along.

© Slow down! More food i: ruined
by an impatient cook cranking up
the heat, burning the pot and
lumping the gravy.

©* Watch what you're doing. A
few seconds’ inattention can ruin
anything. Take advantage of stove
timers to remind you to check the
oven,

® Start simple — if the product
has a name you can’t pronounce
and more than six ingredients,
you're probably over your head.

¢ Remember, there are two types
of recipes —- stable ones and
unstable. Stable mixtures such as
casseroles are casy — the cook
can add or subtract ingredients
and probably come out fine in the
end. On the other hand, don’t try
that witha cake, a classic example
of an unstable recipe. Success de-
pends on exact measurements and
complete ingredients. [t's like a
chemistry class — the ingredients
react togcther.

¢ Develop a modest repertoire of
specialties —— a good spaghetti
sauce, a decent meatloaf, a super
lite dessert and a quick bread
such as muffins or biscuits.

* Experiment in private and avoid
the criticism of nasty little
brothers or patronizing idiois who
probably can’t even make a decent
cup of instant coffee.

© Don't agonize over failures. [ve
been cooking since | was cight and
recently served homemade rolls, to
dinner guests, that could) have
survived nine holes. If everything
flops, take up a collection and
send out for piesa.

before

Heres an ofd ekissic, deel toi
tunchboses and wonderful to web
come hanery hades just home from

school

Dad's Cookies
similar to the commercial
product. Makes about 3': dozen,
Place at least 2° opart on baking
sheet — they spread like hell.
To cup margarine, roam
temperature
f cup white sagar
bs cup brown sugar
lege
t tablespoon motasses
'2 teaspoon vanilla
TY: cups all purpose Flour
1 ieaspoon baking soda
i teaspoon baking powder

Vers

caspoun salt
pao Cinnamon
tes Aspoon allspice
feaspuon nutmeg

cup medium unsweetened co-
coconnt
142 cups quick cooking (note in-
stan) coiled oats (bE tse the extra
flarge flaked staff from bulk
foods),

Whip the margurine with an
electric beater. Beat in the sugars,
egg. molasses and vaniila. Stir the
flour, soda, baking powder, salt
and spices together on a sheet of
wax paper. Add, still using your

NOT JUST
TIRES!

Finally, add the vaconut
your bands.

into) walnut-
sprayed

beater.
and Gatmigad is

Form the mixture
sized balls, place an
cookie sheet and flatien with a
fork, Bake at} 325°, 17 minutes.
This works perfectly in) oms
wonderful new oven but ff J were
using my old one, Md wateh like a
hawk — these could burn right
smartly.

BEST BUYS:
SAFEWAY: Roasting chicken,
98 Ib. (stock up on these! but

butt casts,
$E.34 th.:
BSC; MIB

t-2y bone-in pork
$4.48 Tb.: mushrooms,
long bknygii cukes,
coffee, $

STONC Barons $2.78 Ib.:
smoked whole picnics, 78¢ Ib. (!
boil these in my big stock pot):
lamb shoulder chops, $2.98 Ib.;
turkey thighs, $1.98 Ib. (boning
these is easy. Use like veal
cutlets): whole cauliflower, 79¢ ea.
(pickle a bit?); carrots, 44/99¢,
potatoes, 54/99¢

SAVE ON: Bone-in pork butt
roast, 98¢ tb.; (L-1); mushrooms,
$1.38 Ib.

We’re your
full service centre. #,
a i.

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shopping at Park & Tilford

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