So I genuinely enjoy cooking for the most part. I mean, I hate chopping onions (it’s not the eye thing; it’s that my back starts to hurt. Is that weird?), but generally speaking, cooking makes me feel like I’m “adulting” (sorry) correctly, and when a recipe or experiment turns out well, I get residual good feelings out of it for as long as those leftovers last and then some.
My problems are that 1) I’m not an intuitive cook, and I get anxious when trying something new, especially if cooking for more than myself, and 2) I don’t have much time for cooking. So, while I have a long wish list for recipes (low sodium and otherwise generally healthy, interesting flavor combinations, exploring new ingredients and cultures, etc.), most of the time what I really need are recipes that are relatively easy to put together (bonus if it’s mostly prep followed by cooking that basically does itself rather than having to stand over a pan or pot) and hard to fuck up.
For instance (and I know this isn’t even “cooking,” per say, but it’s a staple), my go-to foolproof boiled eggs procedure is
- Fill pan with cold water and insert eggs, with about 1″ of water over the eggs.
- Add salt and a dollop of oil if so inclined.
- Bring the pan to a boil.
- Remove pan from heat and cover. Let sit for ~20 minutes.
- Peel, salt, and eat perfectly boiled egg(s).
I like this method because it’s never failed me, even when I accidentally let the pot boil for a minute or so, or when I forget about them after covering and remove them from heat for significantly more than 20 minutes.
So, what are some of your go-to recipes or cooking tips and tricks that are relatively easy and hard to fuck up?
