The Cooking And Recipe Contest Lovers Group
The universal recipe for the recipe weary.
by Arthur Webster Just plain honesty
Arthur Webster 
Just plain honesty
I stumbled across this group by accident but, after a little troll around the topics, I thought I would share with you my most successful recipe of all time.
Usually, I don't have a lot of time or patience to go into great bouts of preparation and discovered, a long time ago, the universal recipe.
Take one pan. Saucepan, frying pan, wok - whatever - as long as it is clean and presentable.
Take some ingredients. These can be anything edible that you happen to have to hand. It helps if the flavours and textures are sympathetic to each other but it is not that important.
Add a little water to the pan to about half an inch depth - boil it and then let it simmer on the lowest possible heat setting.
If you know which ingredients will cook the slowest, separate them and chop them into reasonable sized pieces first - followed by the rest, obviously. The fastidious among you might want to peel some vegetables (if that is what the ingredients are) but it really isn't necessary. As the pieces are created, drop them into the pan with the simmering water.
When there seems to be sufficient ingredients (or quantity) in the pan, add just a little more (say 20%) and then put the lid on the pan and let it simmer for 15 minutes. If your pan does not have a lid, a heavy plate will do the job.
After 15 minutes, check the pan contents. It is possible you might need to add a little water.
Taste the fluid (posh folk call it 'the sauce') and, here you can be very imaginative - add stuff like spices, salt, sugar, herbs - anything that takes your fancy - until it tastes OK.
When it tastes OK - stop adding stuff. If you have only used fruit and vegetables, prepare whatever you are going to eat it with - you know, potatoes, rice and so on. While these are cooking, a minor miracle will occur in the pan and a flavourful pastiche will appear. If you have included meat in the mix and it is in lumps, wait a further 15 minutes before you start the potatoes, rice and so on.
Note: If you do not have another pan for the potatoes, rice and so on, add a little more water to the mix and put the potatoes, rice and so on in the pan. Rice can be stirred in but it will cook beautifully in the steam - just keep an eye on the water level!
Once the potatoes, rice and so on are ready, serve on a trencher (ordinary people might prefer a plate but I cook in quantity and don't believe in wasting food) - tuck in and enjoy.
I have created some absolute masterpieces with this recipe and I never know what my meal is going to taste like - only that it will be delicious.
Most recipes miss out a vital ingredient - this one has them all!
Apr 19th 2008 17:00
Just plain honestyI stumbled across this group by accident but, after a little troll around the topics, I thought I would share with you my most successful recipe of all time.
Usually, I don't have a lot of time or patience to go into great bouts of preparation and discovered, a long time ago, the universal recipe.
Take one pan. Saucepan, frying pan, wok - whatever - as long as it is clean and presentable.
Take some ingredients. These can be anything edible that you happen to have to hand. It helps if the flavours and textures are sympathetic to each other but it is not that important.
Add a little water to the pan to about half an inch depth - boil it and then let it simmer on the lowest possible heat setting.
If you know which ingredients will cook the slowest, separate them and chop them into reasonable sized pieces first - followed by the rest, obviously. The fastidious among you might want to peel some vegetables (if that is what the ingredients are) but it really isn't necessary. As the pieces are created, drop them into the pan with the simmering water.
When there seems to be sufficient ingredients (or quantity) in the pan, add just a little more (say 20%) and then put the lid on the pan and let it simmer for 15 minutes. If your pan does not have a lid, a heavy plate will do the job.
After 15 minutes, check the pan contents. It is possible you might need to add a little water.
Taste the fluid (posh folk call it 'the sauce') and, here you can be very imaginative - add stuff like spices, salt, sugar, herbs - anything that takes your fancy - until it tastes OK.
When it tastes OK - stop adding stuff. If you have only used fruit and vegetables, prepare whatever you are going to eat it with - you know, potatoes, rice and so on. While these are cooking, a minor miracle will occur in the pan and a flavourful pastiche will appear. If you have included meat in the mix and it is in lumps, wait a further 15 minutes before you start the potatoes, rice and so on.
Note: If you do not have another pan for the potatoes, rice and so on, add a little more water to the mix and put the potatoes, rice and so on in the pan. Rice can be stirred in but it will cook beautifully in the steam - just keep an eye on the water level!
Once the potatoes, rice and so on are ready, serve on a trencher (ordinary people might prefer a plate but I cook in quantity and don't believe in wasting food) - tuck in and enjoy.
I have created some absolute masterpieces with this recipe and I never know what my meal is going to taste like - only that it will be delicious.
Most recipes miss out a vital ingredient - this one has them all!
Apr 19th 2008 17:00
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Comments
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Jeff Greene
 Online Marketing Specialist/ConsultantAll cooking is based on "Fleshing The Skeleton", so to speak... If you are lucky enough to have a nicely stocked pantry, and have enough cooking skill to boil water and combine ingredients without poisoning yourself or your guests-- You are well on the road to cooking masterfully... Each step that you may take after the basics are learned, is really a personal choice, not a command... Apr 20th 2008 13:45 |
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Arthur Webster
Just plain honestyHi, Jenny, Was that the proof of the pudding? Hi, Peaceful, A well stocked pantry is one thing I have not been able to have for some time. The beauty of my recipe is that any edible substance can be used and a few herbs and/or spices work wonders with just about any concoction. Many peple fool themselves into thinking that some foods will not go together - it is common knowledge but so wrong! LOL! Today, for example, I had avocado pears (off a neighbours tree from last year!), carrots, fresh mint (off my balcony), a couple of large potatoes, two oranges and a lemon (off local trees). These made a wonderfully fruity mixture that only needed some salsa brava (a strong chilli sauce) and a bed of rice. A little brown sugar would have helped but I settled for a small quantity of caramel (made with sugar, water and a little olive oil) with the rice. Delicious - and only half an hour from chopping board to trencher. Apr 20th 2008 13:59 |
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Jeff Greene
Online Marketing Specialist/ConsultantThis is a perfect place to re-introduce this Group to Cooking By Numbers: http://www.cookingbynumbers.com/ Totally useful and funny--Works with almost whatever edibles you happen to have on hand. Enjoy! :) Apr 20th 2008 16:52 |
Ok Jeff,
You are our super culinary expert. Answer that one and stay fashionable! LOL
And it is true. I have eaten at Arthur's house. His recipe works!
Jenny
p.s. Arthur, are you really trying to put all the gourmet cookery writers out of business? LOL
Apr 19th 2008 17:06