More about the Family Chef

Some of my cooking philosophies…

People will tell me they think cooking is hard but the more you make something, the easier it will get. It’s important to learn some basics and be able to know how to make a substitution. Examples are soup, sauces, roasts, and dips. If you have a base recipe, it’s easy to experiment.

I have been cooking for a long time (I know, I don’t look a day over 35 but that’s just not the case!). I used to spend a lot of time in the kitchen to the pleasure of my friends and family. But now, with 2 young children under 4, I have to be creative, flexible, and some what organized.

As the Family Chef, I will share my secrets with you about how to juggle cooking with any busy lifestyle. I now understand that there are many aspects to cooking and not everyone has all day to prep.

Why are you here? Do you want to learn how to cook something specific or just hone your skills? Think about what you want to get out of cooking classes. Here are some considerations:

Time-Cooking is a balance of how much time you have and what you are trying to accomplish. I sometimes cook with convenience foods but it all depends. Knowing how long something takes is important. But, the more you cook, the higher you’ll be on the learning curve and the less time it will take. As you sit through a class, listen for tips on saving time, prepping and planning. I use recipes as guidelines and try not to measure (unless I’m baking). It saves me time and washing up as well!

Planning-Meal planning is important for shopping purposes and meal prep. It’s also essential to always have some things in the freezer and pantry to fall back on. We’ll talk about what you should have stocked; it depends a lot on all of these considerations.

Money-You can buy anything prepared but it can be expensive. You can spend lots of money on expensive ingredients; some times it matters and some times it doesn’t. As you experiment with ingredients, make notes on when you need to spend the money. It will make a difference.

Health-Are you looking for low-fat, low-carb or low-sugar or just overall good nutrition? Do you want some recipes where it doesn’t matter or do you want to learn how to adjust a recipe accordingly? Part of cooking is learning how to make the appropriate substitutions.

Taste-I know for me, the end result is what really matters (although nutrition plays a big part as well). As you learn more, your food will taste better and you will become more motivated. Your kids might even appreciate it!

Convenience-This goes hand in hand with time and planning as well as money, health and taste. It’s all a balance.