Misc Essential Dishes Every Cook Should Know - What Would You Add?

Seeker

Seeker

3 Bombs for Hawkins
Forget sous vide and emulsions. Any self-respecting chef should be able to whip these recipes up blindfolded.

If you were going to ever commit any sort of recipes to your memory — if you were going to ever cook things so often that they become second nature — you should look to these twenty. (Or, if they won't all fit in your brain, at least have them at the ready). Because while we're all into big parties and fun experiments and playing around in the kitchen, we've got our staples. We've got the things we turn to for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert — all week long, when we're hungry or when we're tired or when the mood suddenly strikes. So here are Food52's most essential recipes: The things you really should know — or strive to learn! — how to cook.

Scrambled eggs
Pancakes
Chili
Roast chicken
Tomato sauce
Grilled cheese
Salad dressing
Mashed potatoes
Steak
Stir-fried noodles
Pesto
Roasted vegetables
French toast
Puréed vegetable soup
Hamburgers
Macaroni and cheese
Chicken cutlets
Frittata
Chocolate chip cookies
Chocolate bundt cake

http://theweek.com/article/index/255152/20-essential-dishes-every-cook-should-know
 
Last edited:
packyderms_wife

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
Seeker said:
Forget sous vide and emulsions. Any self-respecting chef should be able to whip these recipes up blindfolded.

If you were going to ever commit any sort of recipes to your memory — if you were going to ever cook things so often that they become second nature — you should look to these twenty. (Or, if they won't all fit in your brain, at least have them at the ready). Because while we're all into big parties and fun experiments and playing around in the kitchen, we've got our staples. We've got the things we turn to for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert — all week long, when we're hungry or when we're tired or when the mood suddenly strikes. So here are Food52's most essential recipes: The things you really should know — or strive to learn! — how to cook.


Stir-fried noodles


http://theweek.com/article/index/255152/20-essential-dishes-every-cook-should-know
Click to expand...

Stir fried noodles, do you mean like chicken lo mein?

I have a menu of 49+ meals I rotate through on a regular basis all recipes committed to memory, this does not include appetizers, deserts, breads, salads, and/or snacks. Tonight it's pork and bean soup (butt roast and pinto beans with onion and seasonings) and rye bread with butter. The pork and bean soup came out of quart jars OC and I canned it up sometime ago just for nights like this one.

Each item on the menu either builds off of a starter like pulled pork or tamales, or is the starter like pork roast.

K-
 
Seeker

Seeker

3 Bombs for Hawkins
Do public schools offer home ec classes any more? Could basic cooking skills be tied in to EBT cards? If TSHTF, how many families could exist by combining only few or limited ingredients to produce a meal?
 
Seeker

Seeker

3 Bombs for Hawkins
How to Cook Stir-Fry Noodles
By eHow Contributor

How to Cook Stir-Fry Noodles

In less than 30 minutes, you can have a simple and delicious stir-fry noodle dish ready to serve. Use a vegetable broth for a vegetarian version or add leftover diced chicken or ground meat for a heartier meal. For the noodles, you can use plain Ramen, spaghetti or even a flavored linguine. This is also a great way to stretch the budget by using up extra vegetables before they spoil. Depending on the ingredients you have on hand, this dish could turn out differently every time.

Instructions
1 Boil a pot of water and cook the noodles according to the instructions on the package. Aim for al dente, which is when the pasta is tender but slightly firm. Do not overcook the noodles. Drain the water
2 Heat 4 tablespoons vegetable oil in a frying pan or wok. Add diced garlic and onions and cook until they are light brown and fragrant.
3 Add diced chicken or meat and stir-fry for a few minutes until it is almost cooked.
4 Add the mushrooms, carrot and chives to the pan. Season with salt, pepper and a little bit of sugar. Add the broth, bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce the heat.
5 Add the noodles and soy sauce, stirring until well mixed, and then add green onions or scallions. Taste and add more seasoning if needed.
6 Serve with a garnish of cilantro.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4552756_cook-stir-fry-noodle.html



Basically, just boil noodles (any kind) and add to whatever veggies you want to use. Stir fry.
 
packyderms_wife

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
Seeker said:
Do public schools offer home ec classes any more? Could basic cooking skills be tied in to EBT cards? If TSHTF, how many families could exist by combining only few or limited ingredients to produce a meal?
Click to expand...

No most public schools no longer teach home ec or shop. As for the rest of it, I've come to the point where I simply don't care anymore. If someone asks for my help then I give my help, otherwise I have enough on my plate to deal with on a daily basis, and that plate is actually overflowing with things to do. With everyone being on the internet and the gazillion cooking sites/blogs out there there simply is no excuse, other than it takes away from their time watching porn or gambling online.

K-
 
TXKajun

TXKajun

Veteran Member
Need to add gumbo the the list!

Once you get the basics down, you're got the start for chicken gumbo, shrimp gumbo, chicken and sausage gumbo, seafood gumbo, chicken/sausage/okra gumbo (my personal favorite), seafood and sausage, shrimp and sausage gumbo and on and on and on. :)

Kaju n
 
Seeker

Seeker

3 Bombs for Hawkins
packyderms_wife said:
No most public schools no longer teach home ec or shop. As for the rest of it, I've come to the point where I simply don't care anymore. If someone asks for my help then I give my help, otherwise I have enough on my plate to deal with on a daily basis, and that plate is actually overflowing with things to do. With everyone being on the internet and the gazillion cooking sites/blogs out there there simply is no excuse, other than it takes away from their time watching porn or gambling online. K-
Click to expand...

Understand exactly what you're saying here, PW. Worked with a woman who claimed she "cooked" for her family because she used a microwave. Frozen pizza - heated in MW (couldn't even figure how to use an oven) and voila - DINNER!

And gumbo - isn't that one of the basic 7 food groups? :lol:

In northern states, "hamburger hot dish" filled the same need. Every mom fixed hers just a little bit different but every mom could build a week's worth of dinners from the same basic recipe.
 
WildDaisy

WildDaisy

God has a plan, Trust it!
I think it also depends on where you live and your nationality. Our house is Italian, so a lot of the cooking we do are dishes from my heritage.

Lasagna, eggplant, pasta and seafood dishes. Mediterranean cooking. Someone from the West might have more hispanic cooking, or someone from the deep south more creole or french.

We have 14 staple dinners that we rotate every two weeks so that we have the same meal twice a month. I stock the supplies for those meals in my pantry. Every now and then I throw in a "whatevah" night and we try a new dish or recipe.
 
E

ejagno

Veteran Member
I fairly confident that this author is not a southerner, nor a licensed Chef and certainly not a Cajun taste bud anywhere in his family line. I'm married to a Chef. LOL Seriously, I really wish young adults would take more of an interest in cooking from scratch.
 
Sebastian

Sebastian

Sebastian
Colard greens hec any greens and fat back. Enough fat back and the greens can make a meal all by themselves.
 
WildDaisy

WildDaisy

God has a plan, Trust it!
These are our staple meals that we have in our house:

Tacos
Meatloaf
Meatballs Stroganoff
American Chop Suey
Lasagna
Apricot Pork Chops
Beef Stew
Poor Man's Meal
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Pasta Bolognase
Eggplant Parm or Chicken Parm
Stir Fry
Chicken and Dumplings
Chicken Soup
Minestrone soup
Chili
Sausage and potato soup
Perogies
Pizza Fritta
Frittata
Ham Steak
 
packyderms_wife

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
Here's a partial list of main dishes that I make throughout the year and I'm sure I'm missing something here, like for instance I just remembered the chicken enchilladas in green sauce and the various asian dishes I make like broccoli chicken with those little hot red chili's. I start with a basic like a pork roast and then build off of it for the rest of the weeks menu. Save's tons of money and lots of what'll we make for dinner tonight issues.

Basic Main Dish Menu ~ All made from scratch all dishes come with various spices, seasonings, herbs, etc. that I’m not including for the sake of brevity.
• Meat loaf
• Pepper Steak
• Swiss Steak
• Chicken Fried Steak
• Hamburger Gravy
• Hamburgers
• Tacos
• Beef burrito mix 1 (chopped steak/roast)
• Beef burrito mix 2 (hamburger with tomatoes and corn)
• Beef burrito mix 3 (hamburger with beans)
• Steak fajitas
• Beef stew
• Rump roast
• Chuck roast with fall veggies
• Spaghetti
• Spaghetti and meatballs sauce made from scratch
• Lasagna with homemade sauce and meatballs
• Ravioli with homemade sauce
• Eggplant parmesan
• Chicken parmesan
• Baked chicken dish 1 bbq type seasonings
• Baked chicken dish 2 garlic cilantro lime seasonings
• Fried Chicken
• Grilled chicken
• Grilled/smoked Turkey
• Grilled/smoked Ham
• Pulled Pork one BBQ seasonings
• Pulled Pork two garlic cilantro lime seasonings
• Pork tenderloin medallions with orange sauce and peppers served with rice
• Seasoned pork roast with fall veggies
• Iowa Chops with whatever
• Rutabaga and Pork Steak dinner
• Ribs with Sauerkraut
• Pork Steaks smoked on grill
• Chili
• White Bean Chili
• Beef Vegetable Soup
• Hamburger Soup
• Meatball Soup with parsnips and lemons
• Chicken Vegetable soup
• Beef and Noodles
• Chicken and Noodles
• Sweet Potato Kale Soup
• Black Eyed Peas with Greens Soup
• French Lentil Soup
• Potato Leek Soup
• Black Bean soup one (Cuban recipe)
• Black Bean soup two (Brazilian recipe)
• Black Bean soup three (New Mexico recipe)
• Red Bean Curry Soup
• Minestrone
• Scalloped Potatoes with Ham
• Baked Beans
• Grill Cheese Sammie
• Garlic Burgers
• Philly Cheesesteak Sammie
• Hot ham and cheese sammie
• Fried egg sammie
• Reuben sammie
• BLT’s
• Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo with fettuccini sauce.
Chicken pot pie
shepards pie
beef pot pie
taco salad
chef's salad
 
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