Mr. Bijoy Writes

Okay, before you can actually start learning how to cook, or for some, better honing your skills, you must have the necessary tools. So, let's go over a few tools that help to complete a kitchen. Remember, this is just a guide of suggestions , so you may not agree with everything. That's fine. Alright, so - Knives- You can have a lot of knives. That's okay. Seriously, though, you may never need more than two knives. A chef's knife of at least eight inches, no more than twelve inches unless you really know why knives that large are made, and a smaller utility knife. More than anything, these need to be sharp. Really expensive knives are complete shit if they are dull. Wood- A wooden spoon, spatula, and cutting board. Taste soup and don't burn the shit out of your tongue? Yeah, that's reason enough for a wooden spoon. The spatula is nice because spoons and corners don't always work well together. The cutting board is there because it's pretty, but you will...

Trail mix is pretty good stuff. The problem with trail mix today is that you can buy so many different trail mixes and so many of them aren't good for you. In fact, some are just bad for you. Here's a recipe for trail mix I acquired back when I used to go on hikes quite often. It's also great for runners. What ya need: 2/3 cup almonds 2/3 cup pecans 1/2 cup roasted soy nuts 1/2 cup dried blueberries 2/3 cup dried cranberries 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds 1/3 cup sunflower seeds Ok, so: MIx all ingredients. This keeps for about six weeks in a cool, dry place. Seriously, that easy.

So this morning I made my self a nice little breakfast and I tweeted about it. Soon thereafter about fifteen people wanted a recipe for this omlette, with manchego cheese and pickled scotch bonnet peppers. So here ya go! What ya need: 2 large eggs 1/4 cup of shredded or chopped Machengo cheese 2 teaspoons of water 2 tablespoons of white vinegar 1 tablespoon of bourbon 1 small scotch bonnet pepper OK, so: Slice and seed your scotch bonnet pepper. In a small saucier pan, heat the pepper and the bourbon until simmering. Once this is achieved, remove the pan from heat. Add vinegar to the pan and set aside. Now, in a small bowl, beat the eggs with the water. I prefer using a fork to do so. You now have all of your prep done. Grab an 8-inch nonstick pan and heat over medium heat. Add the eggs to the pan when the pan has sufficiently warmed. cover and let cook for 45 seconds. While it is heating, drain the liquid from the peppers. Uncover the pan, toss the Machengo cheese and the peppers onto...

My heater is being a real poop-face today. So I thought that I'd post a recipe for a nice, warm soup. So here ya go! What ya need: 1 ,14-ounce can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 ,16-ounce can navy beans, drained and rinsed 1 medium poblano chile, halved and seeded 1/2 onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges 1 pint grape tomatoes 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice ...

My good friend Stacie is in Spain. She wants ranch dressing but can't buy any. So this is for her. What ya need: 1 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup sour cream or buttermilk (use buttermilk, it's tastier) 1/2 teaspoon dried chives 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon onion powder 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper Ok, so: Whisk all of those ingredients above in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for about 1/2 hour. Dip stuff in this, or put in on a salad... Ya know, ranch dressing stuff.

Bosc pears are good. They are even better when you cook them down to make them awesome. Here's a really simple jarred pear recipe that works as a great dessert or accompaniment to a meal. What ya need: 2 cup decent Burgundy wine 1 cup sugar A few whole cloves 1 cinnamon stick 6 peeled Bosc pears Ok, so: Combine the wine and the sugar with a few cloves and the cinnamon stick. Bring this to a simmer and add the pears. Simmer this until the pears are tender. This should take about 15 minutes. Remove the pears from the pan and continue to cook the liquid for about 15 more minutes. Now put your pears in a glass jar. Take the liquid from the pan and pour it over the pears in the jar. Yeah, it looks pretty cool. Now you can store this and use it as needed. Keep refrigerated.