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Do you ever feel like cooking isn’t always worth the effort?

posted 4 years ago by MovieBuff224 (5053)
66 replies | jump to latest

I just spent over an hour preparing a meal that was at best mediocre. I bought good quality stuff from a gourmet grocery store, followed the instructions for the recipe, but it just wasn’t that satisfying. Definitely not for the effort I put into it, and I doubt I saved much if any money. By the time I was done preparing and ready to eat I had almost lost my appetite.

I grilled rainbow trout and made roasted garlic potatoes and broccoli. I barely finished it. It wasn’t “bad,” it just wasn’t all that enjoyable. Maybe I’m just too accustomed to comfort food and eating out, idk. I’m not sure what it is exactly they do at restaurants to make the food taste so good but they’ve got something figured out that’s for sure.

[–] 000 (471) 4 years ago

yeah it feels like its not fair that eating is so much quicker than food preparation
and sometimes u have to wait for it to cool off

[–] jonathan_k80 (6436) 4 years ago

It's not easy cooking for one person. Especially when working with perishable ingredients like fresh produce, or bakery goods that quickly go stale or get moldy. You end up throwing half of it away.

[–] GlenEllyn (21526) 4 years ago

I agree with this completely. Cooking for one is a challenge. I find that when I actually cook a meal, I end up eating leftovers for several days. Sometimes I don't mind, but other times I just want something different than what I've been eating for dinner for three days. Sometimes I change it up and eat a dinner-type meal at lunchtime. That helps.

[–] MovieBuff224 (5053) 4 years ago

Yeah exactly and that’s the best stuff, I can’t imagine I save much money to begin with using halfway decent ingredients and then throwing half of it away.

[–] Eggnog (79) 4 years ago

Food I get from the grocery store doesn't taste good like it used to. Produce, meats, cheese, canned goods, even seasonings. We got dinner out the other night from a healthy restaurant and it was what food is supposed to taste like. Delicious and satisfying. I took this week off from cooking because it has just gotten so frustrating.

[–] NormaAndNorman (3900) 4 years ago

If you want to try a fish that's not too "fishy"--and super fast/easy to cook, buy a package of individually wrapped frozen tilapia! You can buy fresh if you prefer but I usually buy frozen so I have it available when in the mood because it's such a quick, easy, hot meal anytime.
Make whatever sides you want to go with it. Asparagus is an excellent choice but so is broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, etc. Some French, Italian or garlic bread is good with it too.
Add to the pan a little butter, some EVOO (enough so the fish doesn't stick to the pan--you don't want to drown it in oil) and some fresh squeezed lemon onto the frozen tilapia, then cover for a few minutes.

Once it starts to thaw during cooking, add some salt, pepper and parsley right on top of each piece according to taste (add any other seasonings you may like).

At this point you can cook it covered or uncovered on a low/medium heat just so the edges can get a little crispy.
Flip it after several minutes. Season the other side the same way.

When you can easily cut it with a fork in the thickest spot, it's done. Pour those wonderful drippings on top of your fish after transferring it to a plate. You can dip your bread or vegetables in it!

Yum!
Now I'm hungry for tilapia!😅

[–] MovieBuff224 (5053) 4 years ago

Yup I’ve had tilapia, it’s pretty easy to eat I agree

[–] Padeen (6459) 4 years ago

You should start a blog about every day woes that piss you off. I mean seriously, these mundane posts are getting old. Its obvious you will never be happy with anything. Sorry to be blunt, but someone had to point it out.

[–] Quasimodo (16388) 4 years ago

I cook simply and quickly and it's always worth the effort.

[–] AndyKing1967 (38140) 4 years ago

My wife is the most amazing cook; she loves creating dishes and makes it all look effortless. The whole Indonesian culture is based around food (and now I'm hungry, lol).

[–] MovieBuff224 (5053) 4 years ago

Your wife is Indonesian, like born there or second gen? Have you visited? What’s their cuisine like?

[–] AndyKing1967 (38140) 4 years ago

Yes, she is from Jakarta. I have visited many times and can speak Indonesian fluently (along with a few other languages). There are over 17000 islands, all with their own dishes, so it's incredibly varied. They like using lots of spices and it ranges from very mild to very hot and everything in between. Noodles and rice is the staple diet.

[–] MovieBuff224 (5053) 4 years ago

Nice, you can speak Indonesian fluently?? Damn that’s impressive buddy. Yeah I forgot how many diff islands there were, is there more Asian or more Indian influence in the food? Which islands have you visited? I would love to check out Nias, Sumatra, and Bali.

[–] AndyKing1967 (38140) 4 years ago

Yes, it's a pretty easy language and I could already speak Thai and Khmer, so I was already used to how Asian languages are put together.

The food is definitely a mix of Indian and Chinese and is the most interesting food I've encountered.

So far I travelled extensively around East Java, Bali and Lombok (including the Gili Islands) and plan to see more.

[–] MovieBuff224 (5053) 4 years ago

How did you already speak Thai and Khmer (I’m assuming that’s Cambodian?) did you live overseas?

[–] AndyKing1967 (38140) 4 years ago

Yes, I lived in Bangkok for a while and at the time would go to Cambodia on visa runs.

I also spent a lot of my teenage years in Florida, so I have Dual UK/US Citizenship.

[–] MovieBuff224 (5053) 4 years ago

Nice, I can’t wait for this shit to be over so I can resume globe trotting. I went to Europe for 2 weeks last summer, trip of a lifetime. I’d like to explore it more.

[–] chilone (17875) 4 years ago

Trout with fresh dill sprigs, lemon slices, butter and a little sherry, wrapper in a foil packet and baked, is very simple and excellent.

[–] MovieBuff224 (5053) 4 years ago

I’ll try that next time 👍