Experiments in cooking

So this year I decided I’m going to try to make myself a better person in many ways. I’ve really been inspired by my current job to make a lot of changes in my life; one of these realizations was that I really need to eat healthier. The first part of that was quitting soda; I had quite a habit going. I’m sure Coca-Cola will miss me. So, my latest experiment is to see if I can manage to learn to cook without killing myself in the process.

Let me explain: I am a horrible cook. Anything beyond “place in microwave, cook for 6 minutes on high” is intimidating to me. Growing up, I managed to set the toaster oven on fire at least twice, and turn what was supposed to be a grilled cheese sandwich into a lump of formless charcoal from which a rather unbelievable amount of smoke emanated. Needless to say, sometime during high school the rule became that Dan stays away from the kitchen. I was that guy. So when I moved out on my own, I didn’t really have any skills to put together a good meal on a day to day basis. I lived off delivery food and frozen meals, with occasional cold cuts or hot dogs to liven things up. Side note: Stouffers frozen meals are God’s gift to those who cannot cook.

Anyway, given my decision, I had spoken to a couple of friends and the universal decision was that I should get a crock pot, because there was little I could do to catastrophically fail at that endeavor – or so they thought. My first couple of crock pot experiments resulted in inedible, hard-to-clean-up messes, including an ill-advised attempt at oatmeal (thank you, internet). But tonight, I celebrate my first successful crock pot meal: Salsa chicken. And it’s actually really tasty. I feel so accomplished, like the first hunter to kill a boar. (Ladies and gentlemen, I give thee: Suburbia!)

So, this is where it starts. Soon I will move to the grill. And from there, who knows where I’ll stop.

Look out world. Here I come.

4 thoughts on “Experiments in cooking”

  1. haha, i hate crock pots. i like actually COOKING. but i’m super proud of your start. my rule of not destroying food is that i’m not allowed to leave the kitchen if a burner is on, or it’s a disaster. too distractible. hah.

  2. That’s awesome! Cooking becomes such a pleasure once you get the hang of it. Being able to make delicious and healthy food brings me much happiness in life.

  3. That’s what I’m counting on, Elisabeth :) Plus, it makes me feel like a little bit less of a horribly lacking human being!

  4. Crock pots are aaaamazing! Even though, I like the actual act of cooking, the crock pot is perfect for easy meals. I find cooking to be one of those hit or miss things. You just gotta do it and not be afraid to make mistakes. Real pay attention to what seasonings you and how they effect the taste. Use what you learn in future dishes.

    Now what I don’t like is cleaning up. Yuck!

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