How to be a Brainy Gourmet at home...

 

A brainy gourmet does not need a recipe. What, no recipe? That's right. Why? Because good food is always good food, you just have to be able to recognize it... what is good and what is not. Is that all? No.

You have to be brainy with good food. You have to be creative... be able to change things up at a moment's notice. Which means, you have to know your own taste buds and know what you can and cannot do in terms of ability while at the same time be cost effective. How?... by keeping a well stocked simple pantry. 

Finally, being brainy is really about being frugal with a passion! Frugality is about taking soup stock and making it into five different soups by the end of the week or a base for other sauces or stews. It is about keeping a simple pantry stocked with items that can make any dinner into a gourmet meal.

At the beginning of the week, buy a piece of quality meat or a whole chicken.  Take out a stock pot, fill with water half way and lay in your meat. If you are a vegetarian, then put in your veggies. Cook this stock until the meat is fully cooked; then lift out the meat and save your stock. The meat can be reserved for other dishes during the week or used the same day for dinner.

The stock can become any kind of soup you prefer. The key is to not add too much to the stock, no vegetables (unless you can strain them out) and no pasta or rice. Pasta or rice can be cooked on the side to be added to each bowl individually. For instance, if you decide you want tomato soup, then take some stock, add tomato paste and cook. Leave out the rice or pasta, cook it on the side as suggested. The reason for this is that this soup can become spaghetti sauce the next day. That's frugality!

Check out the webpage www.brainygourmet.com and click on archives - Get Brainy, Be Frugal!