What is something like a hobby or skill that you belive almost anybody should give a try, and what makes your suggestion so good compared to other things?

i feel like this is a descent question i guess.

  • anaximander
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    1 year ago

    Cooking. So many people don’t even have the bare minimum ability to throw something together from raw ingredients that’s vaguely nutritious, palatable, and won’t give anyone food poisoning, so of course start there - it’s so much cheaper than ready meals and there are plenty of recipes that are fast if time constraints are why you use ready meals. In fact, a trick I’ve always used is to cook something that serves 4-6 people, divide the extra into tubs, and freeze it. That’s a few nights where making dinner is as quick and simple as defrosting something, maybe boiling some rice or pasta to go with. Do this with a half-dozen meals and you can alternate and not have to cook for weeks.

    Beyond that though, learning a little more about flavour and technique, how to season a dish like a pro, some more unusual flavour combinations etc. can add real interest to your diet for very little extra effort, time, or cost. A few cheap herbs and spices can cost less than a single portion of what you’re cooking and give you enough to enhance months worth of meals.

    Cooking yourself a treat is great therapy. Cooking something a bit fancy for someone makes for a cheap yet heartfelt date night. Cooking a meal your family enjoys is really satisfying. Everyone should learn to cook, just a little.

    • DocSophie@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      And if you have plenty of time (relatively speaking), but don’t want to put in a lot of effort?

      Get a cheap slow cooker! There are so many amazing recipes that are just “toss five ingredients into a cooker and put on low for 8 hours”.

      • anaximander
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        1 year ago

        Absolutely! Another great thing about slow cookers is that they allow for time travel. When you get home from work, you’re tired and can’t be bothered to cook. Slow cookers let you borrow a few minutes of your morning, when you’re awake and fresh, to do your evening cooking! Prepare it in the morning, set it off, and when you get back tired from a long day at work, all you have to do is dish up. Magic.

        • DocSophie@kbin.social
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          1 year ago

          God yes; I’ve never done that because I’m paranoid about something burning or getting stuck to the bottom of the pot or whatever (and the fact that, before WFH, I would get up with about all of five minutes before I had to leave), but it’s so convenient!