Who cooks?

canuck · Post by **canuck** » 7th Dec, '11, 22:01

I am so fed up with the looks of awe and disbelief when i tell people we cook 90% of our own meals....

Like tonight beef fajitas, fab!

So, What do you cook, or do you? Am i a freak of nature

Fat Bob · Post by **Fat Bob** » 7th Dec, '11, 22:19

I both prepare my own food (salads and wraps with cold cuts, bread and cheese etc) and cook a little (last night some pasta and tomato sauce with onion and garlic, lots of barbecue meats with salads etc).

I don't want to spend half my spare life in the kitchen, but also realise that much of what you buy that is prepared by someone else ain't that healthy.

daffodil · Post by **daffodil** » 7th Dec, '11, 23:15

Yes, cook a fair bit too - pasta, risotto, fish dishes, lots of salads.

Bit of a pain trying to get the necessary ingredients here sometimes, that's where the fun comes in !

Kooky · Post by **Kooky** » 8th Dec, '11, 04:10

You really need to ask?

The nice Patti brothers cook my pasta (whilst Neo maintains their PC), Crust makes my pizza, Maya makes my curry, and the pub next door now makes my SE Asian food. God I love the pub next door - highlight of my year

Occasionally Woolies roasts me a chicken and sells me a bag of salad and a variety of places prepare me a sashimi platter. We often eat out, on the way home.

Neo doesn't finish til at least 6.30pm and when I'm working - or should I say working in the office - same same. Usually later - last night he sat in my office 'til I finished about 8.30pm. We both do work in the evening too - last night I was chatting to my database developer 'til 11pm, while he was supervising remote access to a third-party developer. This morning I was chatting to my web developer at 6.30am (I'm not officially working today). The night before I was emailing back and forth with the bank 'til 10pm about a huge problem we had debiting our "customers".

When are we going to cook? Or shop? We don't all have 9 to 5 jobs - and we don't all enjoy cooking. Doesn't mean we can't...

(This week and last, even my breakfast has been bought (Neo's always is, he leaves so early). Fridge on balcony, patio door tied up with rope, everything covered in a layer of dust half an hour after cleaning it, buggered if I'm going through all that hassle whilst herding 3 cats, just to get a pot of yoghurt.)

Tas · Post by **Tas** » 8th Dec, '11, 06:38

I'd say ratio of 70:30 home cooking vs purchased foods. I actually find it more convenient to eat at home than to eat out, plus as Bob says better control on content (and this week remembered hygiene.....). When you're the only one cooking and prepping the food it all gets a bit samey so eating out important break to the montony of your own flavours and washing up! Culturally in my workplace and most of my long term friends and family cooking at home and prepping lunches is the norm rather than other way around.

Pinklepurr · Post by **Pinklepurr** » 8th Dec, '11, 07:18

I cook more than go out for sure. Mr PP on the other hand eats out a lot, especially when he is working in Sydney. He could eat in, but doesn't.

Morrolan · Post by **Morrolan** » 8th Dec, '11, 08:18

both of us cook and we often eat out as well. probably 80-20 in favour of the home cooking.

Lili Von Shtupp · Post by **Lili Von Shtupp** » 8th Dec, '11, 09:08

I have a tough crowd to cook for. Mainly, MIL, who has eaten local food her whole life and can't taste anything unless it's smothered in spice. And then there's young Wolfie, who can't take any spice at all. Luckily Mr VS will eat just about anything I put in front of him (good man).

I have learned how to cook his favorite zhe char dishes, and I can cook them very well, but cooking a big Chinese stir fry takes half a day not to mention uses practically every dish and utensil in the house.

Which is what makes our maid a genius. She cooks for us Mon-Fri, food that is familiar for the MIL, not too spicy for the ang moh DIL, and is made in non-spicy version for the Anak Sultan. Unfortunately, Mr VS does get tired of her cooking every day, so he's looking forward to Christmas, when I'll be taking over for 2 weeks.

I have my basic daily recipes pulled together, and will be doing a Big Shop at Carrefour today. I'm keeping it simple, each day a big pot of soup with either rice or macaroni, plus a big vegetable/salad side dish. Then a nice roasted something-or-other for Christmas

Oh! And we have Christmas cookies to bake! Looks like it'll be a Big Shop!

nev · Post by **nev** » 8th Dec, '11, 09:35

I cook about 70% of the time. The rest of the time I eat out or have a cold meal (assembling a sandwich and pouring milk on cereal are not really cooking, right?). I get sick of my own cooking sometimes, and would eat out every day of the week for about two weeks, then I start cooking again.

Do you cook elaborate meals/dishes? I sometimes have the crazy urge to cook something complicated, but most of the time I resist. I really want to try making this.

Aliya · Post by **Aliya** » 8th Dec, '11, 09:37

Given there is only one really nice restaurant where we are, so Mr A cooks and he is brilliant at it. Good produce is actually quite hard to find here, except in summer. Having said that we have our own lamb/goat/pig meat now and a garden. And lots of really cheap but nice wine. So while it is a nightmare not being able to grab some roti prata we can cope, just!

Scrummy Mummy · Post by **Scrummy Mummy** » 8th Dec, '11, 10:16

We (by which I mean "I") cook from scratch pretty much all the time if we're eating at home (meaning we very rarely eat take-aways*). We eat out (at the Marina pub or similar) sometimes, but not that often. Moving to Singapore broke me of the "Ready Meals" habit that seems to be so common in the UK; in 1997 there just weren't nice ones so we had to cook from scratch, and now I prefer it.

I quite like cooking, but we tend to get into a bit of a rut with the menu.

* This Friday will be the exception as my sister arrives in the early hours of Saturday for the Official State Visit. Since she's allergic to cats and we have 4, we've had a week of intensive cleaning, vacuuming, tidying for visitors etc. So Friday evening we're going to see Puss in Boots then getting a takeaway curry to avoid re-messing up the kitchen.

Scrummy Mummy · Post by **Scrummy Mummy** » 8th Dec, '11, 10:22

canuck wrote:I am so fed up with the looks of awe and disbelief when i tell people we cook 90% of our own meals....

But you're in Singapore, right?

I used to get looks of awe etc. when I had Mini, worked, and had no maid. I pointed out that I only worked 2 days a week, had a childminder and a cleaner, but it was like I was Superwoman. God knows what they'd have made of my friend whose husband walked out 2 days after the birth of their 4th child and she still managed to work full-time and finish her PhD.

slinky · Post by **slinky** » 8th Dec, '11, 10:46

I cook most of our meals at home and we generally eat in during the week and out 3-4 meals on the weekends (mainly because we are out and about anyway). There are a few things the maid makes that we all like, so occasionally she cooks, however, that may change some given I'll be working* 3 days a week starting in January. I figure since I'm paying her anyway, I may as well have her cook when I need to, right?

*Working meaning interning and not getting paid......

Edit: My problem with delegating cooking is being able to plan meals more than a day in advance - I have a tough time doing that for some reason. Guess I don't know what I'm going to want to eat on Friday when it's only Monday

Morrolan · Post by **Morrolan** » 8th Dec, '11, 13:28

Lili Von Shtupp wrote:MIL, who has eaten local food her whole life and can't taste anything unless it's smothered in spice.

Death sauce is your friend...

nev · Post by **nev** » 8th Dec, '11, 16:38

Morrolan wrote:
Lili Von Shtupp wrote:MIL, who has eaten local food her whole life and can't taste anything unless it's smothered in spice.
Death sauce is your friend...

I was desperate for something spicy when I was in Japan for a long period last year, and this sauce saved me. It's divine!

canuck · Post by **canuck** » 8th Dec, '11, 16:53

SM: yeah in Singapore, but it's not just locals who think I am odd for cooking, work colleagues do too. think they have been living here too long.

Nev: mmmm looks yummy, and yes I do step outside the norm, I made falafels the other night for the first time, Who knew they could be so yummy? fresh homemade are the best..
I also made my own pasta recently and on a work night (no I don't know what I was thinking), Beef ravioli with eggplant and garlic, in a tomato and eggplant sauce. it was awesome, but I won't make pasta on a work night again.

Ummm I do a quite a bit of texmex cause it is so fast and easy, fajitas, taco salads, on the weekends we sometimes do pork roast, or chicken roast, ribs, noodles, curry, thai curries, quick stir fry... sometimes pasta olio aglio, chilis and eggs and onion, and cheese..

I have also done my own rollepolse
and I bake sometimes.

anyway glad I am not the only one..

LVS, your set up sounds sensible to satisfy picky eaters

Satellite · Post by **Satellite** » 8th Dec, '11, 17:08

Well my mohter cooks everyday.

When living with Mr Sate, he cooks maybe 3 days/week, me 1 day/week. But in the UK and Abu Dhabi, we cook everyday! Well, he. I cook occasionally.

For lunch, I normally make my own sandwiches 95% of hte time. (Sandwiches here are overpriced and mine is much nicer!)

Tack · Post by **Tack** » 8th Dec, '11, 18:26

We don't eat out very often but we have a takeaway curry or chinese about once a month. I cook a hot meal most days which is vaguely healthy. Sometimes the main element might be a ready to cook offering from Tesco Finest, M and S or Waitrose (gosh we are spoilt here

) so just need to add veg.

chocolate · Post by **chocolate** » 9th Dec, '11, 10:39

I cook but in batches, large ones, on a Sunday but only because I have stupid food intolerances to, as I've just been ranting to Kooky,...food!!

We usually eat at home Mon - Thurs and then Fri-Sun is variable depending on whether we are in or out.
However, the minute we get super busy in work that all goes out the window and we eat out...but I always always always cook breakfast because I <3 eggs for breakfast !

I've got the breakfast down to making oatmeal and oooh lovely quinoa for me (insert sarcasm) and these egg/veggie "things" on a Sunday and just microwaving it
Lunch I make a salad every day and Mr Chocolate makes a s'which
Dinner is batched cooked unless we are home on time and varies between thai curry/ stir fry / thai curry / stir fry and ooh thai curry... lol!! Though I did today make pulled pork in my crockpot!! But that doesn't really count as cooking!

I totally comprehend what Kooky is saying though - the last thing I want to do when I come in from work is cook and honestly if i didn't have such weird food issues I'd probably eat out more....

Satellite · Post by **Satellite** » 9th Dec, '11, 13:01

some people actually enjoy cooking... like mr sate. For my mother, it is a chore and for me too.. though I wouldn't mind baking for hours...

nev · Post by **nev** » 9th Dec, '11, 15:51

I enjoy cooking, it's very therapeutic.

I'm thinking of trying to Cook Your Meat in a Beer Cooler: The World's Best (and Cheapest) Sous-Vide Hack with this fancy sous-vide recipe. If it works perhaps I should get myself a sous-vide machine for Christmas

Lili Von Shtupp · Post by **Lili Von Shtupp** » 9th Dec, '11, 16:43

Well, I'm all excited. I've got two weeks worth of meals planned (with a day off in the middle). I did my Big Shop and made my lists of fresh shopping, so I'm golden. I'm trying a few new recipes in there, so looking forward to that. I imagine I'll jump into it with gusto, but by the end of it I'll be happy to have my maid back.

nev · Post by **nev** » 9th Dec, '11, 16:50

Does anyone know where I can buy a food thermometer?

canuck · Post by **canuck** » 9th Dec, '11, 16:58

Should be any CS or jasons

Lili Von Shtupp · Post by **Lili Von Shtupp** » 9th Dec, '11, 17:05

I was just looking for a meat thermometer at Carrefour and nada. And kitchen string, and cheesecloth, and a decent paring knife, and ...

I see a trip to Sia Huat in my future.

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