We’re in denial. You, me, your friends and neighbours, all of us are in denial. We know that junk food is calorific but we assuage our guilty feelings by inventing clauses whereby the calories don’t count: It doesn’t count if it’s a Friday night; It doesn’t count because it’s just this once; It doesn’t count because it’s probably not as rich as a different brand…

One of those excuses is about to be eliminated, maybe to your advantage, maybe not. The change is this, fast food restaurants are going to be required to give dietary information on the products they serve so that you DO know how many calories are in that burger and fries. So now you’ll know if you really can’t eat it or if it’s ok, given that you’ve been good the rest of the week. (You have been good, haven’t you?)
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Summer seems to be the time many young people choose to move out of the parental home into their own place. Whether it’s because they’re leaving to go to university or because they’ve finished their exams and they’re ready to move on now it means that many people are going to find themselves living, and cooking, by themselves for the first time.

As well as ensuring that you have a good set of pans, a very sharp knife and many more teaspoons than seems altogether reasonable there are a few other Do’s, Don’ts, Hints and Tricks which the newly independent cook should observe.

Chefing Do’s

Organize. Everything from your shelves to your fridge, and even your recipes need to be well organised. If you can see at a glance what you have and what you need you’ll find cooking far more enjoyable without having to dash to the shops halfway through a recipe.

Clean on the Go. Cleaning as you cook saves a great deal of time, you won’t find that you’ve run out of equipment and you won’t have to face ploughing into a bombsite once you come to the end.

Read Recipes Properly. Read any recipe you’ve not tried before thoroughly and make sure you understand it. Even if you’re in a rush taking a couple of moments at the start will mean you won’t have any nasty surprises at the end.

Watch Some-one Better. Watch good cooks on TV if necessary but preferably find some-one you know can cook and see if you can stand by and watch or help, find some-one who is going to be happy to have you there and asking questions.

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Originally posted last Christmas, but as so many people are still looking for my Home-made Carrot and Tomato Soup recipe, I thought I should repost it for you all.

I have been asked a few times about some of the recipes for the tweets that I have made when I have made soup etc, so I thought would take the opportunity to bring you a tasty recipe for Carrot and Tomato Soup!

So if you would like to try out this tasty soup then read on! Read the rest of this entry »

I thought I’d follow up on my previous post about TV Kitchens with one about the actual chefs themselves…hope you enjoy it!

I love cooking programmes, I always have. I started getting interested in cooking when I was 14 and would try and cook anything I liked the look of. But I’ve never been fond of recipes, they’re so fussy with exact measures and times and having to stop in the middle of everything to go back and read the damned thing every 5 minutes… eek! So began my love affair with cookery shows. I adore watching someone cook and not only knowing what they put in it but also to get a sense of the food by watching it being made and eaten. I have never felt the need to sit there with pen and paper to write down the recipe or look it up online. In fact I prefer to go back to the kitchen and make my own version of it. These days there are so many cooking programmes and it’s all about who’s the funniest/sexiest or most glamorous or has the fanciest recipes and gadgets. Don’t get me wrong I’m not complaining, I watch most of them but I do enjoy some more than others. Here is my 3 all time favourite TV chefs and why I love them. Want to find out more, then click here

Peter is an Internet marketer who enjoys blogging about different topics including food and particularly chinese food and Indian food.

I quite enjoy cooking at home, although if I am honest, this tends to be a little functional in its purpose. If someone mentions ‘takeaway’, they don’t get much argument from me. I won’t try to disguise the fact – I love takeaways! Perhaps my favourite is the ubiquitous British-Chinese takeaway. Found on nearly every street corner, the Chinese have established a firm foothold in this country, and dominate the restaurant and takeaway market. Read the rest of this entry »