Paper Palate

When my friend J asked if I have been cooking since I was young, or if I just started learning the skill after I got married and settled down in a home away from home.  I laughed and told her it was the latter.

I learn to cook and bake from reading cookbooks, magazines and by watching Food Network. My friend J, who is blessed with a doting husband who is also a good cook, never has to worry about cooking a meal herself. However, recently she decided it’s high time to try her hand at cooking.

Being a helpful friend, I want to offer all the support I could provide. But alas, she is a zillion miles away, and it doesn’t help that we are separated by a 14 hour time difference. Which means, when she needs help in cooking, I would be in the slumberland already.

Then I remembered the cookbook I received not long ago- “Cook With Jamie: My Guide To Making You a Better Cook” by Jamie Oliver. It is the answer for both our prayers!

Not only is the book packed with simple but impressive recipes, “Cook with Jamie” also includes step-by-step illustrations to demonstrate some basic skills. These include making fresh pasta from scratch, risotto, cleaning squid, preparing lobster and live crab, just to name a few.  There are also simplified diagrams of chicken, lamb and beef to illustrate the various cuts of meat and the best ways to prepare them. I found “Cook with Jamie” informative, without making novice cooks or bakers feel intimidated. The book includes enough educational materials for the reader without overburdening them with unnecessary information.

In the last few pages of the book, there are pointers about how to cook safely, sharpening a knife, issues on food safety and cross contamination, freezing food and chopping techniques, among other helpful hints, all of which are useful for people who are starting to cook. Most of the recipes in the book come with pictures, which I do appreciate. Like many people, I am gravitated toward trying recipes with pictures. Not surprisingly, I enjoy reading through the recipes, techniques and skills spilled over the 448 pages of what Jamie Oliver is trying to achieve as a “timely, modern-day classic.”

This is a book which I am sure my friend J would find useful.

Potato Rösti

olive oil
a small knob of butter
1.5 lb floury potatoes, peeled and cut into matchsticks
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a few sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves picked
6 cloves of garlic, peeled

Preheat the oven to 400F. In an ovenproof non-stick frying pan, about 8 inches wide, heat a splash of olive oil. Add the butter and toss the potatoes in it with a pinch of salt and pepper, the rosemary leaves and the whole garlic cloves. Fry on a medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring all the while, until the potatoes start to soften a little. Then place the pan in the oven and cook for about 25 minutes or until the potatoes are lightly golden, both on the top and the bottom.

Take the pan out of the oven and cover it with a piece of damp wax paper. Wrap your hand in a tea towel, or use a perfectly sized plate, and press down on the paper to flatten and compact your rösti. Remove the wax paper and place the pan back in the oven for 25 minutes.

Cut into slices and serve.

Serves 4