Not A Single Fork Not A Single Fork

Chicken. The go-to protein for so many people. And, let’s be honest (surprise!), it is a super versatile food. It can be prepared in so many ways and can take on flavor like no other, I mean, it’s a blank slate, really. It can also be abused in so many ways and cooked so badly! Dry, tasteless, stringy. It can be described as sawdust falling apart in your mouth. All words to suggest something terribly overcooked but there is the other side, too. Under-cooked chicken. YIKES! Salmonella, here we come! So in spite of its versatility and seemingly unassuming nature, there are A LOT of things that can go wrong and keep people away from chicken and poultry, in general. But have no fear, the Fork Girls are here to dispel more rumors and misconceptions about the humble chicken and its cousins. In this episode, we’re not only going to sing the praises of chicken, turkey, duck and more but we’re going to help you figure out how you might want to buy, cut up and then cook these little darlings. There are, of course, some caveats especially when dealing with chicken. People in our classes freak out if they have to touch raw chicken. So, congratulations, CDC and USDA, you have successfully created additional panic in the populace, at least in our neck of the woods. So, do you need to worry about the dangers of chicken and their salmonella carrying tendencies? Of course, but don’t lose your minds! Safe food handling takes care of just about everything and we’re going to tell you all about that, too. Oh, by the way, stop rinsing your chicken.We takes you through best practices in terms of cooking methods and then, there is, of course, our opinions about all that. And don’t forget, we’ve got more Rants and Raves (or Tips and Tricks) as we go crazy talking about what we love or DON’T. Thanks for listening! Please subscribe and review our podcast wherever you prefer to listen.. Changes are underway and coming soon. You don't want to miss what's up!

MOO, BAA, OINK…we got ‘em all. Now we’re going to start working our way around the plate (remember the Balancing Act episode?), beginning with proteins and in this case, animal proteins. So we’ll be giving you a rundown on everything in this episode except for poultry because it deserves an episode of its own. Once more, we are sharing probably way more than you ever wanted to know about all kinds of meat: beef, pork and lamb, mainly, but we’ll touch on their more exotic brethren, too. The cuts and why they’re fatty or muscular and the best way to cook them based on that. For instance, working parts of an animal require the longer braising or stewing times because you have to breakdown all that muscle. Makes sense, right? So, here is MOO, BAA, OINK! You’ve got this, my friends, stress-free cooking and actually having fun in the kitchen! So, join us once more, as we tell you ALL about the MEAT. Because yes, we have an opinion…or five. There’s also a new Rants and Raves (or Tips and Tricks) as we go crazy talking about what we love or DON’T. Be sure to listen, subscribe and review our podcast wherever you prefer to listen.. We want to keep doing this!

By now, you’re probably wondering when are we going to start talking about the good stuff…FOOD!?Trust me, we’re getting there but in case you didn’t know this, there’s a whole bunch of back story involved in cooking. We’re helping you with the “mise en place” of enjoying the whole cooking process and having FUN!So, we have to do some cleanup to get you prepared. If you have most of the basics, then cooking is a breeze and you won’t get stressed out by just thinking about having to cook dinner. I promise this is the last of the organizational tips and tricks and just things you need to know.Creating a balanced meal and/or plate is as easy as 1 - 2 - 3. One protein, one carb and (at least) one veggie…that’s it! We’ll go into the deets in this next podcast episode but that’s what it boils down to. Have you noticed I’ve been using a lot of cooking related references? I just can’t help it!In this episode, we walk you through an simple and basically, fool-proof method for creating a balanced plate for almost any meal. And, we have a helluva lot of fun while we’re doing it. But I guess that’s normal for us.You’re on your way to stress-free cooking, my friends. So, join us once more, as we tell you more than you probably want to know about balancing a healthy plate of food. Because yes, we have an opinion…or five.There’s also a new Rants and Raves as we go crazy talking about what we love or DON’T. We even throw in some Tips and Tricks here and there. If you have a question, leave it on our website page (https://www.thegirlcancook.com/not-a-single-fork) Be sure to listen, subscribe and review our podcast and please leave us a comment (or question)…we love that!! And, we WILL reply!

Here it comes, THE FOOD PART! And, it’s all wet.Yep, and holding true to our tradition, we will begin at the beginning with stock, broth and sauce, OH MY! These are the things that help make your food delicious and also help you build an understanding of why some things taste great and others, meh, not so much. So, stock is the next foundation. You need it to make soup, stew, and sauces. But it’s not great to eat on its own because…it’s not salted. It has all of this great, inherent flavor but you can’t get to it because it hasn’t been seasoned. You’ll hear all about that in the upcoming episode as well as what makes it different from broth and bonus! we’ll walk you through how to make a pan sauce.This is a jam-packed episode. So if you enjoyed the last episode…you ain’t seen nothing yet. We’re just picking up speed now! In this episode, we are sharing probably way more than you ever wanted to know about how to make stock, and, oh, by the way, it’s okay to buy it in the grocery; there are a lot of good brands. Then we move on to broth and how it’s different and then spend the rest of the time extolling the virtues of the Five Mother Sauces. Then wrap it all up in a neat little package with my personal fave….the PAN SAUCE! I love to tie up loose ends, well, because I am OCD. TAH-DAH!You’re on your way to stress-free cooking, my friends. So, join us once more, as we tell you ALL about the wet side of cooking. Because yes, we have an opinion…or five. There’s also a new Rants and Raves as we go crazy talking about what we love or DON’T. Have to admit, we’ve moved a little more into digging the Tips and Tricks for now.A whole new podcast experience (the name's the same) coming soon.

Cooking is, of course, about food but remember, there are also tools involved to make your life easier. We no longer have to cook over an open campfire, wash our food and equipment and dishes and ourselves, for that matter, in the nearby lake, or use our bare hands to tear food apart. Primitive humans discovered (certainly by accident) that when food is cooked it is typically more flavorful so fire became a necessity and cooking was created. Washing and cutting came along somewhat later but also made it easier to eat. Nowadays, we covet our tools whether big, small or somewhere in between but we are here to let you in on a little secret…stay basic and essential and you will be a happier cook.You honestly don’t need a gadget for every task. There are many tools, like knives, for instance, that can tackle many jobs. So in this episode of Not A Single Fork, we are going to guide you through the unending maze of large appliances, small, countertop appliances and the smallest hand-held tools that you really need to make your cooking life fun, easy and stress-free.Join us as we tell you more than you probably want to know about all the tools that we love oh, and don’t love so much. Because yes, we have an opinion…or five. There’s also a new Rants and Raves as we go crazy talking about what we love or DON’T. We even throw in some Tips and Tricks here and there.If you have a question, leave it in the comments below and we will be happy to address it in our next episode. It’s time for you to get involved in this whole thing, too! Be sure to listen, subscribe and review our podcast and please leave us a comment (or question)…we love that!!

I don’t like to measure. I don’t like to measure so much that I rarely make anything that demands precision…like baking.Exact measuring cramps my style and who wants their style cramped, right? That’s what we’re talking about in this episode, how measuring can get in the way of freeing yourself in the kitchen and cooking.My mom never measured anything. Imagine how difficult it was trying to learn anything about cooking from her. Or, maybe you had a mom like that, too?No matter, we’re going to help whether you’re someone who loves to or hates to measure. So here’s our final game changer before we start talking about the really fun stuff!In this episode, we’re going to “suggest” you throw away your salt and pepper shakers. Why? Because they’re like using a black box. If you’re going to season food, you have to be in control and you can’t be in control if you can’t see what you’re doing.So, we’re going to guide you through the process of measuring without measuring. We’ll teach you about creating your own reference points so you can totally release your cooking animal.Another fun part of this episode is the (continuing) announcement of the winner of our May contest winner. We celebrated Moms throughout the month of May as a part of our 10 Year Anniversary Celebration and we loved the story so much we recorded a Facebook Live for our business page. You can watch our shenanigans there and hear the story written and submitted by Tiffany Christ Zachary. She won a Cooking Class for Two and has already signed herself (and her mom) up for our next Pasta Making 101 Class…how fun is that? You can watch the video from the Facebook Live by clicking the button below.As always, let us know what you think of this episode and the Rants and Raves, of course,So leave us comments, ask questions, call us out, but most of all, subscribe to our podcast and leave a review. You’ll find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.