Lazy ‘Cooking’

[JAS_OH1]

My ex-wife was obsessed with reading manuals. But, she also made me write out turn-by-turn instructions on how to get somewhere in the car. Maps made no sense at all to her. I would look at a map, and write out...

1. Turn right at Main ST
2. Drive 2.6 miles to oak ST, turn left
3. Drive 3 miles, just past the Kroger store on the right, and turn right on Maple ST

You get the picture.

CD

It's funny, but I taught my kids directions by, "Go south on main street and east on Killian..." to this day they all have vehicles with compasses in them. I never understood car manufacturers that produced cars without compasses. My oldest daughter complained to me when she rented a car some years ago that didn't have one. But now they all have Google maps on their phones and navigation systems in their cars, so...

 

[caseydog]

Nowadays, owners’ manuals are usually online, and you just get a quick-start guide to get you up and running.

I’ll order (and pay extra for a printed owner’s manual if that’s available, or download and print the online one. I have them all in binders.

I even save the little cardboard card that comes with, say, a baking dish, because it’ll have the max oven temp on it, or whether it’s broiler-safe, and I always forget that.

Funny story - you know I love my America’s Test Kitchen/Chris Kimball stuff - well, he went out of his way on one episode years ago to warn people that Pyrex glass baking dishes aren’t broiler-safe, and he detailed how they cracked one in the test kitchen, thought it was a manufacturer’s flaw, until someone was smart enough to read the owner’s guide, where it plainly said it wasn’t broiler-safe.

He tried to play it off like, “Well, that’s not our mistake, because everyone just assumes they are,” and I was yelling at the TV, “Speak for yourself, Kimball, I read that when I bought my first one 25 years ago, numb🥜! RTFM!*”




*Read The Fu…er Fine Manual

I have all of my owners manuals in .PDF format on my personal computer. I only look at the manual if I need to do something that I can't figure out to do.

My dad would buy a new car, and sit and read the owners manual. If I were to do that, I'd forget most of it. I look for answers only when I have a question.

CD

 

[TastyReuben]

"Go south on main street and east on Killian..."

That’s how I give directions, and how I “see” directions in my head, but MrsT is a “Drive down Locust until you see the Holiday Inn, then turn left at the next light,” person.

 

[TastyReuben]

I have all of my owners manuals in .PDF format on my personal computer. I only look at the manual if I need to do something that I can't figure out to do.

I don’t like doing that, because I always think, “I think I got that right, but what if there’s something that I didn’t think of? Where’s the manual?”

Obviously, that’s different for different things. I’ll read the $10 toaster manual once, just in case there’s something in there the manufacturer wants me to know that I hadn’t considered, but it’s a toaster, turn the knob, push the paddle down.

But if it’s something more complex, I want the reassurance that setting this feature on my super-smart thermostat didn’t just conflict with this other setting on my super-smart thermostat.

My dad would buy a new car, and sit and read the owners manual. If I were to do that, I'd forget most of it. I look for answers only when I have a question.

I absolutely read my car’s manual, especially with the way all the settings are software-managed and menu-driven (which I don’t like…give me a knob any day - wait…did I just say that?! ).

When I bought my Fiat, it came with a “most common features” manual on the phone app (things like how to navigate the 6,081 menus to reset the clock), but I had to order a printed full menu. It was free, but I definitely had to opt in.

 

[medtran49]

You also can't put cold/room temperature liquid in a Pyrex dish fresh from the oven to make gravy. It explodes, literally. Ask Craig how we know.

 

[JAS_OH1]

You also can't put cold/room temperature liquid in a Pyrex dish fresh from the oven to make gravy. It explodes, literally. Ask Craig how we know.

That seems like common sense to me. Sorry Craig!

 

[TastyReuben]

You also can't put cold/room temperature liquid in a Pyrex dish fresh from the oven to make gravy. It explodes, literally. Ask Craig how we know.

That was the issue on ATK, thermal shock. They’d taken the dish from the oven and sat it on the counter in a much colder kitchen.

 

[JAS_OH1]

And not all Pyrex is actually PYREXl. I read this article a few weeks ago:

I Just Found Out My Pyrex Isn't a Real PYREX and My Mind Is Blown

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

Today is a lazy cooking day.

So Pieminster pies, broccoli and gastro pub chips.

As it is so simple and I’m pooped I asked Mr SSOAP if he would do it.

We’ve now had the pies re-served multiple times and still cold in the middle 😬

Well worth me not cooking today 😆

 

[caseydog]

I don’t like doing that, because I always think, “I think I got that right, but what if there’s something that I didn’t think of? Where’s the manual?”

Obviously, that’s different for different things. I’ll read the $10 toaster manual once, just in case there’s something in there the manufacturer wants me to know that I hadn’t considered, but it’s a toaster, turn the knob, push the paddle down.

But if it’s something more complex, I want the reassurance that setting this feature on my super-smart thermostat didn’t just conflict with this other setting on my super-smart thermostat.


I absolutely read my car’s manual, especially with the way all the settings are software-managed and menu-driven (which I don’t like…give me a knob any day - wait…did I just say that?! ).

When I bought my Fiat, it came with a “most common features” manual on the phone app (things like how to navigate the 6,081 menus to reset the clock), but I had to order a printed full menu. It was free, but I definitely had to opt in.

None of this surprises me. You usually cook from recipes, verbatim. Just different personalities.

My car's owners manual has never left the glovebox. I do have a PDF version saved on my computer, if I need it. My car also has an electronic owners manual built into the central screen on the dash. That has everything the printed manual has, plus menus you can choose from. For example, when I wanted to set the HomeLink system to open my garage door and driveway gate, it walked me through the process one step at a time, and confirmed when the links were done. Do this... do that... press the okay on the screen. Done.

When I was traveling 150 days per year, I rented a lot of cars. I got a lot of surprises.

There is no way I'm going to buy a toaster that requires to read an owners manual to operate.

CD

 

[Morning Glory]

When I can´t be bothered, I usually do one of two things: aglio e olio, or my version of a satay sauce with pasta. Neither takes more than 15 minutes.
Aglio e olio: bring salted water to a boil and measure out pasta. Meanwhile, slice 10 cloves of garlic into thick chunks and cook gently in plenty of olive oil. Add fresh chiles.
Satay: bring salted water to a boil and measure out pasta. Get the blender out. Dump in a couple of spring onions (or a chunk of white onion), 2 - 3 tablespoons peanut butter, 2 cloves garlic, piece of ginger, a tomato, splash soy sauce, splash rice wine vinegar (or any vinegar you´ve got) grated lime zest (or just lime juice), bunch of fresh coriander, 2-3 fresh chiles (or splash of hot sauce), sesame oil. Blitz to a paste. The idea is not to meticulously select the ingredients, but rather to open the fridge and dump things in the blender as quickly as possible. Add water if necessary. Heat through in microwave whilst the pasta is cooking.

That's way too complicated and involves too much prep and washing up.

 

[JAS_OH1]

Tonight will be semi easy. Making steak sandwiches with some of the leftover prime rib from dinner last night. Yeah, I will cut up and saute' some peppers and onions, then fold in the cheese and trimmed steak pieces at the end and place on toasted sandwich buns, served with potato chips and French onion dip. Not too hard at all.

 

[Morning Glory]

The day before the very first choice night I bought myself a lobster and made Thermidor butter which I had the next evening with very indulgent and peaceful glass of £30 Riesling to congratulate myself on my new found Tuesday evening freedom 😆

Oh my! I am so with you on that choice of meal to yourself.

 

[Morning Glory]

Yeah, I will cut up and saute' some peppers and onions, then fold in the cheese and trimmed steak pieces at the end and place on toasted sandwich buns

Still too complicated.

 

[TastyReuben]

I expected tonight to be lazy cooking, just leftover/reheated ham, potatoes, and carrots from last night…until I realize we ate all the carrots (we would’ve had enough, but we fixed a plate for the neighbor yesterday), so now I have to steam some carrots and broccoli, and my first thought was…”Well hell, now I’m cooking!”

Low effort to me really means no effort!