Meerkat Prompts: Cookery
Uh oh. We’re entering the realm of something crazy. I am not an especially skilled cook, and I dare say this has been proven by various, um, colourful culinary efforts. I tend to default to certain simple ideas, such as toast or a sandwich for lunch, though I have been known to attempt dinners that are a bit more off-piste. These usually involve rice, badly-chopped vegetables, a mis-matched collection of herbs and spices, and some sort of protein that’s been hacked at until it resembles cubes. These creations are eaten exclusively by me, since my wife and daughter are A: vegetarians and B: too sensible to risk it.
Occasionally I will produce something that is at least vaguely decent. One big success story has been the banoffee pie, which to be fair is rather difficult to mess up. It is also deeply satisfying to take a pack of digestive biscuits and beat them into a fine biscuit powder with a rolling pin. It’s also hard to dislike a combination of buttery biscuit, thick caramel with bananas in it, and whipped cream. That being said, my wife doesn’t especially like bananas, so the next time that I make one, it may be a banana-less banoffee!
My latest attempt at cooking was in the form of egg-fried rice with chicken. Since the only chicken in the house at the time was in the form of chicken goujons, this was a slightly unique take on the idea. I think it came out alright, though I ended up with more egg than I wanted, because I stupidly used three instead of two.
Cookery is something of an art form, and those who cook to the highest levels are worthy of tremendous praise. My wife and I watch Masterchef Australia (we’re re-watching an old season at the mo), and the various skills, techniques and judgement on display put me to shame. From the determined amateur contestants to the professional guests, the creations they come up with are gorgeous, and display abilities that go far beyond my usual approach of ‘chuck it in the frying pan’.
I tip my hat to those who know how to cook!
