Ethos

The Guiding Beliefs of The Xperimental Chef

Simply put, Xperimental Cooking is putting YOU in charge – you’re the boss of the kitchen!  You choose the ingredients you like and whip up meals to suit your specific tastes.  Forget about strictly following recipes that are complicated . . . that requires you to buy special ingredients you will only use once, then store till they expire . . . that calls for you to measure out precise amounts of each ingredient.   All that is required is for you to have fun and Xperiment with blending ingredients that you like.  Let your imagination rule . . . pick the items and create your masterpiece; from types of meats and vegetables, to how they are cooked, to what beautiful arrangement on your dinner plate.


Let’s go through a simple example together to introduce you to Xperimental Cooking . . .

Imagine you are going to prepare the main course for lunch or dinner; what shall it be – beef, chicken, fish, lamb?  Let’s say you pick fish . . . then go see what you already have in your kitchen; or better yet go off to the market and see what the fresh catch of the day is.  You go to the seafood section and come across fresh Salmon fillet that’s going for a good price, so you pick up the quantity you need for the family.

Next, you think of what will go well with Salmon – pasta, potatoes or rice?  What vegetables will be good – cabbage, carrots, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes?  You walk over to the vegetable section of the market and decide on potatoes; then you pick up broccoli, lemon and mushrooms that look good.  You think that some garlic & onions will go well with the mushrooms when stir-fried and pick up some.  Finally, you come upon cherry tomatoes that can add color to your masterpiece.


Back home in the kitchen, you think of how to do the potatoes . . . will it be french fries?  No, you can get that at McDonalds.  How about baked potatoes?  It takes quite a while to do; and oops, you ran out of sour cream just the other day.  Then how about boiled potatoes?  (follow these pictures as you read on . . .)

You peel some potatoes and boil in water for about 10 minutes.  Test with a fork to confirm that they are cooked (the fork will easily pierce through the center when done; boil longer if the center is still hard).  While the potatoes are boiling, you slice up the mushrooms and onions, then pan fry with some oil and chopped garlic to add flavor.  You cut the broccoli into small chunks and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes; shorter if you like it on the crunchy side, longer if you prefer them softer.


Next, you clean the Salmon and cut it into several pieces.  Pan-fry with a bit of butter or oil, turning about every minute till they are done in about 5 minutes or so, depending on how hot your pan is.

Now to assemble everything on the dinner plate . . . you arrange some broccoli into a ball on one side, add the fried mushrooms & onions next to it.  You slice one boiled potato, place it on the plate and melt a spoon of butter on top; sprinkle some salt and black pepper if desired.  Finally, on goes the Salmon; you mix a sauce of melted butter, lemon juice and tomato ketchup, spread it on top of the Salmon and top with sliced cherry tomatoes.  You creation is ready to be served; well done!

Now, wasn’t that really easy to do?  To stretch your imagination, consider these modifications to your creation . . .

Instead of boiled potatoes, how about doing mashed potatoes instead?  For the vegetables, use something that you like better – carrots, corn, peas, lettuce, asparagus, etc.  Try a different type of fish – Cod, Snapper, Trout, Sea Bass . . . or even switch to meat if you do not favor fish; how about beef, pork, chicken, lamb?  Forget about making the sauce and go with squeezing a wedge of lemon onto the fish and tomato ketchup on the side to save time and get down to eating faster?

As you can see, there are many ways to customize the meal to each individual’s fancy, so have fun Xperimenting and enjoy your very own special creation.

While you enjoy the wonderful meal you have just prepared, consider following me regularly to discover how fun and easy cooking really is and experience various foods from around the world.  Best of all, you will see how simple it is to customize meals to suit each person you are cooking for.  Join us as we conduct Xperiments in cooking that will turn you into a chef and gourmet; its so easy anyone can be successful without trying too hard.  Soon, you will impress your friends and family with many wonderful dishes you can whip up!

 

Let's begin with The Secrets to Great Cooking . . .