tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36972982.post1721486514272229564..comments2023-09-07T02:16:50.687-07:00Comments on Tammi Tasting Terroir: How do you do it? On good cooking and finding time.Tammoishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06964566196107658056noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36972982.post-4369463297328991872010-11-09T18:33:35.319-08:002010-11-09T18:33:35.319-08:00All of this makes an enormous amount of sense, and...All of this makes an enormous amount of sense, and it's great to read someone who's taken the time to write a considered post about it.<br /><br />It's what makes me so grumpy about those $10 meals Coles keeps pushing - not only are they dubious nutritionally, and rarely genuinely under the $10, but they also do nothing to teach people about basic pantry management.<br /><br />I can't imagine it turning up on school curriculums any time soon, but it should be there - how to manage a pantry so that more often than not you can cook efficiently and well.FoodieFihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13800600606454606836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36972982.post-41411246822934663732010-05-20T02:54:41.248-07:002010-05-20T02:54:41.248-07:00That is pretty much my approach and nearly all our...That is pretty much my approach and nearly all our meals over the years have been cooked from scratch. I agree with Another Outspoken Female, the art of shopping should never be underestimated - it's that mental stocktake we do when we use the second-to-last can of tomatoes, etc. that means we can always cope. When our kids were still at home, we all sat down together for dinner nearly every night - we ate when the last person got home. It might only have been for 15 minutes but it was worth the effort. Another rule - I seldom cook without a glass of wine on the bench. These days adult sons are both good cooks. Husband has a minute repertoire (apart from weekend brunch) but always says thankyou after every meal, bless him. Interesting is his comment that he enjoys my cooking even more since we shifted to Australia. I put that down to the great markets - we live only 100 metres from Sth Melbo Market and meals are generally driven by the seasonal produce I buy. Unfortunately the only garden I have these days is a balcony herb garden but that's worth it. Well done, Tammi (and Stuart!)Pat Churchillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13046825503041304111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36972982.post-85007091255577266712010-05-04T03:26:29.719-07:002010-05-04T03:26:29.719-07:00Yay, I love this post! My kids are still small bu...Yay, I love this post! My kids are still small but this is exactly the kind of attitude towards food, cooking, etc, I am trying to promote in our house. I love the connection you have made between practice, skills, competence, and pleasure. Never thought of it like that before. :)Lauren aka Ms Bakloverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08540872180823771651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36972982.post-58615044306122477972010-05-02T20:21:07.519-07:002010-05-02T20:21:07.519-07:00I love this post. I can totally understand people ...I love this post. I can totally understand people that don't really cook - I'm sure it is daunting when you don't have the skills, habits and confidence. However, I also feel sad for them. It is such a pleasure and such a source of good health for our family.<br /><br />I would second AOF's comment about being organised. For me to cook something from scratch every night (which I like to do and generally do do) I have found it far easier to meal plan. I do it on a Saturday morning just before we hit the Farmers Markets and the Food Co-op. The resulting shopping list ensures that I have exactly what I need on hand for the week, which makes cooking so much easier - no planning or coordination needed during the week.<br /><br />We have also been on a project to really organise our pantry for some time and finally finished it last week. All our basic dry goods, spices, etc. now have their own labeled jar, with an allocated spot in the pantry. This makes it very easy to know when something is running low and to take it along to the co-op for a refill before it runs out. <br /><br />It also makes it super easy to find ingredients quickly when your 3-year-old needs to eat IMMEDIATELY...cristyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10438841050844456591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36972982.post-58127867737431853332010-04-27T23:12:25.416-07:002010-04-27T23:12:25.416-07:00"organic pumpkin milk" being a little kn..."organic pumpkin milk" being a little known product with a taste identical to coconut milk.Zoehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01546885088503890394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36972982.post-61150108039518375512010-04-27T21:09:00.496-07:002010-04-27T21:09:00.496-07:00Tammi, I was just coming over here to leave a comm...Tammi, I was just coming over here to leave a comment about doing this juggling requires a "can-do camper" attitude, when I see you've just left a similar one on @drnaomi's post about veggies.<br /><br />We eat takeaway about once or twice a month (not counting the hot chips after school with Dad on Friday afternoons)! You need to be organised if you going to cook from scratch all the time, and I think that organisation could be very hard if you were doing it because you thought you should, rather than for the love of it.<br /><br />EG tonight's soup (bubbling now) is made from a pumpkin grown by a neighbour; stock from the freezer, taken down a couple of days ago in case, some jarred paste from the fridge (normally would use home-made) and a can of organic pumpkin milk. I'm a fan of a big pantry :)<br /><br />That said, kids might not eat it and have vegemite on toast or an egg instead. Given what they eat over the rest of the course of the day, doesn't matter. won't be stressing about it.<br /><br />Unfortunately our kids need to eat earlier and earlier as it gets colder, and want dinner at about 5:30 at the moment. Mostly we manage because I work 2 days a week (when Owy cooks or I've made something ahead), but I do have lots of community stuff happening too. <br /><br />That flash in the background of the last photo is Stuart, right? Get a lot done when you don't sit down ;)Zoehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01546885088503890394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36972982.post-65614576070690311382010-04-27T19:16:31.415-07:002010-04-27T19:16:31.415-07:00Great post. Makes me pine for more of your subtle ...Great post. Makes me pine for more of your subtle flavor inputs that keeps our dining at home so exciting. Just a note on the sourcing we also have the twice weekly dairy delivery of milk, cheese and butter. Also need to highlight the down size of sourcing food locally (and general minimal car usage) where our car tier walls degraded and collapsed due to a lack of use making for an expensive replacement for a vehicle that is so rarely used.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03713348640174064885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36972982.post-66460375193901506272010-04-27T14:49:17.698-07:002010-04-27T14:49:17.698-07:00Along with competence, I think being organised has...Along with competence, I think being organised has a lot to do with getting food on the table every night. Where a lot of people fall at the first hurdle is having food in the house. Being in a good shopping routine (which you two obviously are), having fresh produce aching to be picked in the garden, keeping a good stash of basics in the pantry (the rice, the canned beans...) all mean it's more likely that you'll cook than succumb to other options.<br /><br />Also on the competence line is confidence. It's knowing that you can cut corners, not have to slavishly follow a recipe, mix and match with the ingredients you have, to be an improvisational cook.GShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11963643826578219126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36972982.post-47437889985090310352010-04-27T03:43:20.770-07:002010-04-27T03:43:20.770-07:00There is always time to cook. After years of insta...There is always time to cook. After years of instant noodles and boxed microwave meals at uni, I decided it was time to learn how to cook a few years ago. <br />Not many in my family cooked and there was always the maid but she cooked bad food. And after grandma passed, no one really cooked! I am glad that I watched her in the kitchen. I think I did pick up some skills sub consciously. Taste taste taste and fond memories of aromas!<br />Good on you and cooking is the best relaxation tool for me as well. And I am willing to be a student for the rest of my life.penny aka jeroxiehttp://jeroxie.com/addictionnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36972982.post-20084063848163034952010-04-27T00:17:12.501-07:002010-04-27T00:17:12.501-07:00this is pretty much my approach. Cooking for us, f...this is pretty much my approach. Cooking for us, for both of us, is a necessary life skill. Apart from all the stuff about wanting to do what's best for us, it's just plain awful to think of coming home every day to shitty food. I would die of boredom and misery if I sat down to garbage, poorly cooked food or just tasteless stuff.<br /><br />I long ago gave up the notion of striving for gourmet. I strive for good, nutritious and, as much as possible, interesting and varied. That's just how life has to be for me. For us. I never understand the 'I'm too lazy to cook' mentality.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36972982.post-38744678131426369132010-04-26T23:00:00.340-07:002010-04-26T23:00:00.340-07:00Hmmm... "self indulgent"... definitively...Hmmm... "self indulgent"... definitively Tammi!! Haha sorry had to say it!!!<br /><br />-JessAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36972982.post-31352789095419776852010-04-26T21:34:15.766-07:002010-04-26T21:34:15.766-07:00Lovely post. I feel a sense of recognition in what...Lovely post. I feel a sense of recognition in what you write. While I was doing a PhD myself and with three small children + being a keen baker and so forth, I was regularly asked "how do you manage it". AS far as I could see it was about focusing on what was important and not stressing about what isn't (ie bread that doesn't rise!!) It isn't rocket science but it is about having the will. And excellent back up. I have a fabulous partner who with whom I can genuinely share household duties (and in fact, he often takes more). But when it is a priority to eat well, to have fun and to spend time with family, these things can be managed, in addition to all the academic and work work. And perhaps I didn't read every piece of research I could have...but in the end, I don't think you ever can.Melissahttp://godardsletterboxes.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.com