I 've been talking a lot about dinners lately. This is partly because my latest book is all about dinners, is called Dinner and because that's what people tend to want to discuss. However it's also because dinner is often the day's main meal (we Irish are divils for skipping breakfast and/or lunch) and people can understandably get worked up about getting it right.
So, what to have for dinner? Well, there is no magic formula. If you want to home cook, it takes a little commitment to get into your stride. It helps – a lot – if you practise, build a decent store cupboard and have at least some of the essential tools that make cooking less of a chore – such as a decent knife.
As the famous American food writer Julia Child said: “If you can read, you can cook,” so pick a book from a chef whose style you like and take a crack at it. If the results are rubbish, try again.
You see, becoming a good cook means accepting that, at least at the start, it might not work perfectly. In fact, quite a lot of the time, it’s not perfect, but persistence pays off. After a while, instead of despairing, you will be more confident about your skills and trying new dishes, ingredients or techniques.
However just in case you are interested, I do have a couple of loose rules about dinners. First, I’m happy to serve up the same thing two days in a row; I won’t accept any grumbling (honestly, I figure if you’ve made the effort, it shouldn’t matter that it’s the same thing).
And second, believe it or not, it’s good to cook not just one dish but two at a time, particularly if one is short on prep time but long on cooking, like a good stew, and doesn’t require too much mollycoddling, leaving you time enough for something else.
So my first dish this week is a seriously good stew that takes just 15-20 minutes to prep, so it can simmer while you get on with cooking tonight’s supper, saving this for the next day, when it will taste even better.
The molasses gave it a sticky, rich flavour and although it doesn’t have to be accompanied by the second dish – scrumptious roasted cauliflower with a tahini dip – they were great together. Simple baked spuds, mash or steamed greens would be lovely too.
Dinner? Yes please.
