The Sad Bastard Cookbook • Hacker News Board

Re: The Sad Bastard Cookbook

#301

Post by bemusedthrow75 » Sun, Aug 06, 2023, 2:32 PM UTC

janwillemb wrote: post #212

bob1029 wrote: post #191

The trick for me is to apply engineering to the kitchen. You can actually enjoy really elaborate meals if you simply make more each time and utilize pyrex+freezer. Why make only 6 servings of spaghetti when there's still 50% free space available in your instant pot? (that 'max fill' line is but a polite suggestion :D) Planning ahead, logistics, etc. can make all the difference in the world. Imagine spending one hour…

Alternatively, one can enjoy cooking and don't mind spending time in the kitchen. Freezing food degrades the taste imo. But in my country eating out is considered a luxury activity, homecooking is the norm (the Netherlands)

Home cooking is why you guys are just sort of almost boringly healthier-looking than the rest of the white western world! :-)

Cooking at home in a way that allowed me to cut down on my bread consumption, manage lactose intolerance without entirely losing cheese from my life, battle ARFID into insignificance and eat from fresh is a habit that has taken me well into mid-life to develop, but the benefits are obvious, because I am no longer skinny-and-fat-at-the-same-time.

Now if I only had a repertoire of more than about nine dishes. Going to have to read this book.

Re: The Sad Bastard Cookbook

#302

Post by nkrisc » Sun, Aug 06, 2023, 2:32 PM UTC

Daneel_ wrote: post #242

nkrisc wrote: post #186

Easy and delicious, and only 3-4 of the ingredients are perishables you need to get. The rest are pantry items: * ~2lb sirloin (flank if you have money to burn) * Some soy sauce * Sesame oil * Onion powder * Garlic powder * 2 white onions * Peppers of some kind (I like shishito for this, and something really spicy if I’m not cooking it for my family) * Scallions (if you want, there’s already onions) * Baking soda * C…

Many here will really appreciate the nice recipe, however you're missing the point of the cook book. People who are looking at this cook book are definitely not going to spend 1-4 hours waiting for marinade. They barely have 1-4 minutes of effort in their tank. * Buy pre-marinated diced beef from the store * Buy pre-diced frozen veggies * Buy microwave rice 1. Oil in pan 2. Beef in pan, cook for 1-2 mins 3. Veggies i…

Well I shared it here because it’s adaptable to whatever your maximum level of effort is. You could not marinate and just coat the meat and let it sit while the pan heats and you chop veg. You could also buy pre-chopped veg, most grocery stores around me sell mixed onion and green bell pepper already chopped, often as a fajita mix. That would work very well for this. And the only perishable ingredients are very common and is otherwise mostly pantry staples that you’ll use for many other recipes. It cooks in large batches easily and keeps well in the fridge.

I figured not everyone is looking for the absolute, bare minimum but still might be interested in a very low effort meal, even if it isn’t quite the lowest effort.

Re: The Sad Bastard Cookbook

#303

Post by MengerSponge » Sun, Aug 06, 2023, 2:34 PM UTC

coolvision wrote: post #52

My food for when I can't be bothered is pasta with canned pesto sauce (+optional parmesan). Can eat it every day. Another a bit more involved option is pasta with checkpeas: https://www.seriouseats.com/pasta-e-ceci-pasta-with-chickpea... What's yours go-to recipes?

Kenji's Colombian chicken stew: https://www.seriouseats.com/colombian-chicken-stew-with-pota...

Washing the vegetables is the most labor-intensive part. Coarsely chop things, stir in your salt and pepper, toss a few bay leaves in, load in the chicken parts, HIGH for 25min, and you're technically good to go. I cook bone-in-skin-on chicken, so I pick the bones and gristle and skin, and stir the chopped/gently pulled meat back in with the rest of the stew.

If I feel like I need more greens in my diet, I'll add a block/half bag of chopped frozen spinach. Chile if I'm feeling spicy.

Serve with lime. It's so much better with lime.

Re: The Sad Bastard Cookbook

#304

Post by Knee_Pain » Sun, Aug 06, 2023, 2:35 PM UTC

Daneel_ wrote: post #233

Knee_Pain wrote: post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>too hard roughly chopping random vegetables and throwing them in a pot is hard? >too much time using a pressure cooker for 45 minutes while you watch youtube videos is too much time?

Yes - far too hard, and far too much time. I'd immediately buy pre-diced items and would have to find a recipe that could be made in less than 15 minutes, and even then that's pushing it. My solution was soylent/equivalent. 8 years on I'm still drinking it.

Do you have a diagnosed cognitive condition? This absolute rejection of even the most basic and easy form of food preparation is concerning. Drinking that slop without a decent complementary diet is not healthy for your gut.

Re: The Sad Bastard Cookbook

#305

Post by ghaff » Sun, Aug 06, 2023, 2:35 PM UTC

flyinghamster wrote: post #253

madmax108 wrote: post #220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Imagine spending one hour in the kitchen to only feed yourself one time. That would be peak insanity to me today." YMMV. For me, spending time cooking is a great way to take a break from my computer and spend time away from a screen. And like showering, the process of cooking is now mechanical enough that it allows me to focus on broader tangents in whatever I'm working on and set myself up for the next session of c…

One thing I've noticed: cooking for myself and my parents feels like less of a chore than cooking only for myself. That's a big part of why, for just myself, I'd rather cook up a big batch and freeze portions for later, aside from recipes not always scaling down well.

Cooking for other people can be something of an event. Cooking for yourself after a busy day for yourself can be a chore you're sort of resigned to so that you can get some necessary calories in your body even if, in general, you like cooking. That's where it's nice to be able to mindlessly pop something in the oven or microwave that dish you've previously made or even just bought.

Re: The Sad Bastard Cookbook

#306

Post by fuzztester » Sun, Aug 06, 2023, 2:37 PM UTC

biztos wrote: post #216

maerF0x0 wrote: post #150

When It's really bad I just buy multiple costco rotisserie chickens, some frozen veggies, put food on plate, microwave, cover in sauce, eat. Add in premier proteins, fit crunch, and clif builders and you can shop for like 2 weeks in a single run and not die. My "I cant be bothered" template is the following. is essentially pick one from each category * 1/2 LB (225g) veggies * 1/2 LB or 1 fruit * 1 protein * Caloric l…

If you can find a tamarind sauce, that’s “instant interesting” for chicken IMO. Also great with shrimp. And if you like Indian-ish flavors, a few different jars of chutney/pickle go a long way towards un-blanding that kind of food. Not vouching for these per se but for example: https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/tamarind-sauce-... https://www.pataks.co.uk/products/chutneys-and-pickles/mango...

Speaking of pickles, I came across a new one (for me) recently, made mainly of raw turmeric, with oil and some common Indian spices used in pickles and curries.

It had an unusual taste but was quite good.

Re: The Sad Bastard Cookbook

#307

Post by safety1st » Sun, Aug 06, 2023, 2:39 PM UTC

Daneel_ wrote: post #235

generic92034 wrote: post #190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes to both points. You would know, if you had been there. Also, who is buying the veggies, who is cleaning up after your 5 minutes of eating?

Ding ding ding. Exactly! Don't forget you also have to wash, peel, top and tail, clean, sharpen knives, etc.. A full dinner from when you get up to make it to when you sit down with everything washed/put away is more like 60 minutes in a best-case scenario. 7 hours a week. 364 hours a year. Feels like a crime to use so much time on basic survival needs that have been solved.

The trick is to cook in bulk.

Soups, stews, pasta, chili, all freeze very well. All doable in about an hour start to finish including cleanup, if you're efficient. You cook the largest batch possible and freeze it in meal sized portions. I can get 4-6 portions out of a single stock pot - that's 10-15 minutes of work per meal. Well worth the time invested to have meals which are prepared exactly the way I like them sitting in my freezer, ready to nuke and eat. It's also a cheap way to eat healthy.

For me it's not about survival, that part's easy - I like variety and I like having control over my macros (or at least knowing what they are). I also order delivery and eat out regularly but I can't imagine not having this extra tool in my toolbox.

Re: The Sad Bastard Cookbook

#308

Post by bemusedthrow75 » Sun, Aug 06, 2023, 2:39 PM UTC

Melatonic wrote: post #284

bob1029 wrote: post #191

The trick for me is to apply engineering to the kitchen. You can actually enjoy really elaborate meals if you simply make more each time and utilize pyrex+freezer. Why make only 6 servings of spaghetti when there's still 50% free space available in your instant pot? (that 'max fill' line is but a polite suggestion :D) Planning ahead, logistics, etc. can make all the difference in the world. Imagine spending one hour…

Agreed. I know someone who refuses to cook at all under the guise of "anxiety" and I do not understand how some people are fine with not being able to provide for themselves on a very basic level. Automate your cooking and meal prep as much as possible and the process becomes quick and easy and you always have tons of food on hand.

If you have not experienced food or diet-related anxiety, try not to write it off as being "fine with not being able to provide for themselves on a very basic level".

There are several kinds of anxiety/phobia/disorder that leave people unable to cook, and I am sure their anxiety at some level encompasses exactly the thing you think they haven't noticed.

Re: The Sad Bastard Cookbook

#309

Post by bemusedthrow75 » Sun, Aug 06, 2023, 2:42 PM UTC

maerF0x0 wrote: post #150

When It's really bad I just buy multiple costco rotisserie chickens, some frozen veggies, put food on plate, microwave, cover in sauce, eat. Add in premier proteins, fit crunch, and clif builders and you can shop for like 2 weeks in a single run and not die. My "I cant be bothered" template is the following. is essentially pick one from each category * 1/2 LB (225g) veggies * 1/2 LB or 1 fruit * 1 protein * Caloric l…

> Frozen veggies often are nutritionally superior to fresh due to halting nutritional decay.

Also because freeze/thaw is a form of predigestion, I think I have read -- it's partly breaking down the food (cellulose?) and increasing nutritional availability.

Frozen broccoli is still psychologically unacceptable, mind you. I have some in the freezer that was bought during a broccoli shortage (thank you so much, Brexit); I've used it twice and I cannot imagine I will ever finish it.

Re: The Sad Bastard Cookbook

#310

Post by fatfingerd » Sun, Aug 06, 2023, 2:42 PM UTC

bob1029 wrote: post #191

The trick for me is to apply engineering to the kitchen. You can actually enjoy really elaborate meals if you simply make more each time and utilize pyrex+freezer. Why make only 6 servings of spaghetti when there's still 50% free space available in your instant pot? (that 'max fill' line is but a polite suggestion :D) Planning ahead, logistics, etc. can make all the difference in the world. Imagine spending one hour…

For a sauce sure, but developing a process for reheating spaghetti that results in good spaghetti sounds a lot more complicated than taking 10 minutes for fresh spaghetti, or really no additional minutes given the sauce has to heat up from frozen.