Can you Cook Like a Cave Woman?

Humans have been cooking for a long time. Probably right after fire was discovered, man realized chicken tasted much better cooked than raw. Think about those early cooking experiences. This was long before Le Cordon Blue Cooking School in Paris, Julia Child had not yet been born, and the Food Network was not in anyone’s imagination. Yet those cave women managed to cook something for their families.

How did they cook without measuring utensils, frozen foods, microwaves, and non-stick pots? Well, it was a bit before my time, but I have a theory. They cooked simply, easily and let the good ingredients provide the entire flavor. If you start with real foods, the ones that do not come with an ingredients label, you can have a healthy delicious dinner on the table in no time at all.

It is a pity that cooking, which is such a necessary part of our lives, has gotten a reputation for being hard to do and for being time consuming. Cooking is not complicated and, unlike baking, it never has to be exact. Put your favorite meat in a pot with your favorite vegetables; add chicken broth, your favorite herbs and simmer. This makes a great stew that also freezes well. Cook any vegetable in oil, garlic and salt; do not add water. Serve on rice or pasta. The easiest sauce to make is oil, garlic, canned tomatoes and fresh basil. You can put that on top of anything.

You are not the master pastry chef in a five star restaurant. You are trying to get a nutritious and tasty dinner on the table for you family. If you have no idea how to cook, just pretend you are a cave woman. Does that make sense?

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: To reheat leftover pasta put it in a colander and pour boiling water over it and drain. Do not re-boil it.

Copyright ©2009 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.