Has Ordering Out For Twenty Plus Years Ruined My Home-Cookin' Karma?

Living in NYC has definitely spoiled me -- at any given moment I can order in Chinese, Somalian, Vegan, Mexican, just about anything really, without tearing my eyes away from MTV, save for quickly perusing the restaurant's online menu. But lately I've started wondering what really goes into my sesame chicken or salmon teriyaki.

Over the weekend I decided to make a healthy meal for my boyfriend and myself, so I promptly logged on to Atkins.com, downloaded a fish with artichoke & tomato sauce recipe, and shimmied my way over to the grocery store -- a downright frightening place full of ingredients I can't name and chips and chocolate I must resist buying!

In my basket I loaded up on fresh tomatoes, frozen artichokes (why oh why are frozen food aisles THAT cold?) and cautiously headed over to the (gasp!) poultry and fish aisle, where I saw only Turbot, not the Haddock the recipe called for. Figuring that was fine anyway (hey, they're both white fish), I paid, headed home, and fired up my 1963 oven that sits in my 4 x 3 foot kitchen. Everything was going along fine until I attempted to make the fish. For once, though usually my creativity gets the better of me, I followed the recipe to a tee! But, the artichokes became soggy as they sat in a covered pot post-cooking and my attempts to flip the fish with a spatula (as dictated by the recipe) turned my filet into a pile of mash. I served it to Greg who was kind, though I could see the relief when, after a few bites, I said I couldn't eat it. I believe his exact words were, "Thank God."

We promptly ordered Domino's and my night of healthy living turned to an evening of cheesy bread, half of a pizza, and a liter of diet coke.

I am now banned from the kitchen. This latest attempt at domesticity is just that -- the latest. Two months ago my pasta carbonara with zucchini ended up as a raw egg parmesan stew with a side of hair.

Any suggestions or simple recipes you can pass on to this crippled chef?

From the Community…

Comments 1-5 of 5

Posted by dextersantero Thu Jul 24, 2008 11:43am PDT

Try some classics instead of gourmet meals. Make meatloaf or goulash or spaghetti - something not so difficult to begin with.

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Posted by catikner Thu Jul 24, 2008 12:25pm PDT

I second that dexter, i mean don't try to do so much in the beginning, try some baked chicken breasts with a salad or side of pasta with cheese, i mean something simple.
good luck, i'm not a cooking expert myself, i may cook twice a week and i have two kids so i know about sticking with something simple.

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Posted by catikner Thu Jul 24, 2008 12:25pm PDT

I second that dexter, i mean don't try to do so much in the beginning, try some baked chicken breasts with a salad or side of pasta with cheese, i mean something simple.
good luck, i'm not a cooking expert myself, i may cook twice a week and i have two kids so i know about sticking with something simple.

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Posted by Jerry Spiller Thu Jul 24, 2008 1:08pm PDT

your poor boyfriend! did he survive? are you still together?
in my experience, cooking for your loved one is really important! but what i like to do is order out, ask them to run to get some wine, and when they get back have everything laid out on the table as if i cooked it myself. make sure to have some dirty dishes in the sink to make it more believable. i love getting comments about how amazing my cooking is and how cool it is that i can cook mexican food, traditional jewish food, italian, classic american...

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Posted by desiree e Thu Jul 24, 2008 4:16pm PDT

KEEP IT SIMPLE, GO TO THE FOOD NETWORK AND CHECK OUT SIMPLER RECIPES WITH ITEMS YOU KNOW YOU CAN BUY AT THE GROCERY STORE, AND THAT ARE STILL HEALTHY. WITH FISH I THINK THERE IS A SPECIAL SPATULA THEY MAKE THAT HAS TWO SIDES SO ITS EASIER TO FLIP MY HUSBAND ALWAYS TELLS ME TO GET IT WHEN I MAKE A RUN TO THE BED,BATH AND BYOND OR TARGET- I JUST FORGET.

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Comments 1-5 of 5

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