johncip's Journal, 17 July 2024

Also, just because it's been on my mind... I know not everyone really loves to cook, but for my part, I've found that what's helped me a lot is getting out of that middle ground where I'm cooking but half of the stuff is jarred. It doesn't really save me that much time, and then the final product isn't as tasty and I'm not as proud of it. Nowadays, I try to save time by being smart about ingredient prep. For instance, I'll make chicken stock, but maybe once a month, if that, and freeze portions. Then, whatever I make with it (soup, stew, sauce, anything braised, pot of beans, etc.) automatically comes out good. Lately I've been doing a lot of fermented stuff like yogurt and pickled veg, and wow, it just sits there and does all the work on its own :P Also, I'm not shy about gadgets... having a salad spinner saves me a lot of time, I feel, and I make ginger/garlic paste in a molcajete instead of on the cutting board. (Batching out garlic confit is also a good solution, IMO, but I like my garlic closer to raw). I have a little coffee grinder that I use for spices. And I use my instant pot constantly. Cooking was something I got into many years ago so that I could lose weight, and improving has been kind of a lifelong project, and I'm still not that skilled, honestly... but again I've just been reflecting lately on what a false economy the convenience items (chopped garlic, canned stock) end up providing, especially when compared with getting into a good ingredient prep rhythm. Feel free to share any ingredient prep tricks, I love that stuff. 

Looks good sir.. 

thank you! 

I really love this. I tend to buy whole chickens when they are less expensive than parts, cut them up, and use the rib cage and wing tips for stock. I use my food processor and immersion blender very often. Sweet potatoes can be roasted whole in some toaster ovens and then refrigerated to use later. I have not made it to making my own mayonnaise but I get closer every year. I used to make my own salad dressing but buying Newman's Own for quite a while... so still not all the way in...probably much of this is a choice about where you prefer to spend time. 💙 

фу че за панос в чашке 

I purchased a vacuum sealer and a mason jar sealer. Vacuum allows me to purchase quality and quantity. It’s only 2 of us so it makes meal prep easier. Mason jar sealer is the bomb tho! I’ve sealed rice, beans, lentils, coffee, etc. I also wash my fruit, air dry and put into mason jars in the fridge. You can see it right up front and it stays fresher longer. Fav meal prep of the week is always a batch of overnight oats. Each jar is 2 servings for us! 

Your collard greens look absolutely legit. Who taught you that? Very impressed! I believe those cucumbers and carrots are pickled? They look Japanese… I am loving this eclectic dinner🤣 Unlike you, I have very few kitchen gadgets. I’ve been contemplating on buying a salad spinner for 10 years now. Is it really a game changer like they say?  

I have zero food prep tricks, except that I keep the kitchen counter uncluttered. Makes cooking easier.  

Mello, I use my vacuum sealer a decent amount as well, but I don't have a handheld one for jars, what do you put in your jars?  

Unity, that is great advice... I often don't do whole baked potatoes because they take longer than the other things I'd be cooking. But if I did a few in advance then they'd just need reheating. And I'm kind of the same on mayonnaise and salad dressing. Whole chickens are also great because sometimes they have the giblets :P 

I love me some Cruditie and a bit of tapas or charcuterie can be good to mix it up. 

Thanks yfritz! The veggies are just raw, as a stocking stuffer :D but I do have some sauerkraut made up, and some red onions that'll be done fermenting in a few days. I plan to attempt radish next, south asian style, in oil and spices... we'll see how it goes. Self-taught on collards, my mom didn't braise greens too much, but her corned beef and cabbage is good :) 

And I definitely recommend a salad spinner, if you eat a lot of salad. (I have a small 5-quart one, it works fine and I just do two batches if necessary.) I find the prepped lettuce lasts longer too, even though it's cut, because I keep it in a sealed container. Do you grow any lettuce in your garden? I have a bed I want to clear out and plant some lettuce in. 

I was wondering if a salad spinner is useful for blanched veggies? I make Namul and my son often requests it. It’s an easy side dish but removing excess water from blanched watercress and bean sprouts is near impossible, so I occasionally end up buying premade namul from an Asian store, which makes me feel like a failure as a mother. I grow lettuce indoor, it’s too hot outside! Microgreens are super easy to grow indoor too, and that’s pretty much all I have as a prep trick🤣 Sorry for not being helpful 

I shall not ignore the char, that's the best part when it's not too dark. Looks good. Great meal. 

Haha. Don't be so hard on yourself yfritz! I'm guessing he eats better than most kids... if the namul is too soft I could see it getting stuck in the ribs, but it's worth trying, and maybe you could try putting a cheesecloth in there too. They're definitely useful for raw stuff, at any rate. And that makes sense about the lettuce. It's fairly temperate where I am, but it'll be hot next month for a bit... I plan to get some partial shade over the planter and will hope for the best, I get enough fungus gnats inside as it is 😬