COOKING THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY
Grandma’s recipes have been hauled out of the storage boxes or hurriedly written out and a snapshot sent to the family whatsapp group. With the nationwide lockdown this year came the time and desire to cook more traditional family meals, the way it was done for generations.
Here are some of our favourite ‘forgotten’ old fashioned cooking techniques that are, or should be making a comeback.
Less is best
Old fashioned cooking doesn’t have all the extra flourishes and decorations that modern cuisine does. Traditional meals are generous and sumptuous just as they are. The focus is on the flavour rather than the presentation. We can still create dishes that look as good as they taste but with simpler garnishes and beautiful simple presentation.
Real Ingredients
As we become more involved in cooking every day we realise the goodness in fresh, real food, turning to in-season produce, farm fresh free range meats and eggs, and even growing our own herbs. Think how simple yet delicious a serving of in-season vegetables lightly cooked and served with fresh butter or a thick stew made with whole grains, beans and flavourful cuts of meat is.
Cooking from scratch
The lockdown period of early 2020 saw the supermarket shelves cleared of flour and yeast. We started to bake from real recipes rather relying on the convenience of a box of cake mix, and we discovered how satisfying this is. Cooking from scratch is healthier and actually costs less. If you still need some ready meals in a hurry, cook bigger batches of your favourite dishes when you have the time and portion and freeze them for when you don’t have time to cook.
Going back to a food routine
While weekends and holidays are a great time to try out some new recipes or create a full spread of deliciousness for the whole family, there is something quite liberating about having a preplanned menu for your weekly meals. Remember when we knew that Mondays was pasta night, and Fridays was fish? Having some kind of routine for our weekly meals means shopping is simpler, the pressure to think of what to cook for supper is off and the whole family knows what to look forward to.
The best old-fashioned kitchen tools that still work today
We may have some amazing appliances in our kitchen that make cooking easier and better, there are some manual kitchen tools that just can’t be beat.
A good knife is an essential in your kitchen. Invest in good quality and you will never look back.
Blend anything from scrambled eggs to cake batters and fresh whipped cream without having to plug in. Quick and simple.
Not only is this an essential for yummy homemade mashed potatoes but can also be used for smashing avos into guacamole or texturizing a chunky vegetable soup quickly.
