Not A Single Fork Not A Single Fork

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. 

One of the biggest stressors for home cooks is organization, or the (total) lack thereof.. In this episode, we will teach you how to “mise en place”, the ins and outs of how professional chefs stay organized,Here is another game changer! Organization is what it’s all about. Everything is ready to go. You know you have the ingredients, you know they’re the right shape and you know where they are. NO STRESS!This is the episode where I have to admit that you probably need to use a recipe IF you are making a dish for the first time. If you know it like the back of your hand, just go for it. But you’ve got to know what you need and when, regardless of recipe or not.Everything that goes into what you’re making is at the ready, in order of use (the timing for when it goes into your recipe) and it’s easy to see at a glance. That main picture is a really good example for a way that you can “get organized” in your home kitchen.So how do you “mise en place”.? Well, first, don’t go all rulebook on me. You can use anything as a container. You don’t need to buy anything new although there are A LOT of cute new items at Target for mise.* Know your recipe and what ingredients you need BEFORE you start cooking* Cut up and measure (if you must)* Have your containers ready and line them up* Put your prepped food in the containers* Arrange the containers in the order the ingredients will go into your dish* RELAX AND ENJOY THE COOKING…YOU CRAZY KIDSYou’re starting to feel it, aren’t you? That carefree cooking attitude!Let us know what you think of this episode and the Rants and Raves (more of those to come).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.

Welcome to our crazy world of food and cooking classes where we teach real people how to cook real food. We don’t pull any punches and we are about as real as two bitches can get. Try to guess who’s crazier?.I’m Chef Candace Conley and this is my partner in culinary (and other types) crime, Natalia Banjac. We’ve worked in the food industry together for over 10 years; we are still besties and are still keeping it real.. So, we thought it was about time we shared that with you. We’re making that happen in our first ever podcast, Not A Single Fork.Our first episode is intended as an introduction not only for you to get to know us but to get to know our approach to food, cooking and well, life. And, yep, you guessed it…we don’t give a single f**k, er, fork…not really for much of anything. It has to be really, really important. We ascribe to the philosophy of Mark Manson in his book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F**k. If you aren’t familiar, we strongly recommend it. You’ll be SO much HAPPIER!This episode sets the stage for Season 1. We give you a brief overview of what kinds of topics we’re going to be talking about.* Flavor profiles and what that means in your personal cooking style* “GO TO” ingredients and suggestions of what you might want to always have on hand* Building your own reference library of your cooking faves, like magazines, cooking shows, books and such* Cooking basics and my “secrets” (The secret is, I don’t have any secrets…I’ll tell you everything!)We just want you to stop taking yourselves so seriously!Life is short and you usually have to spend a lot of time cooking so let’s have some fun, dammit!Some of our episodes will run longer and some shorter but no matter the length we hope you enjoy them..We want you to relax and just cook! No more judging, just cooking and loving what you make in the kitchen.So leave us comments, ask questions, call us out, but most of all, subscribe to our podcast and leave a review. Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.Thanks for listening!