Home Cooking for the culinarily challenged

[Louise Please]

I'm a ready meals girl. I was a teenager when I prepared the one and only proper meal I’ve ever made, cooking everything from scratch. I've begun to suspect that life in New Zealand for a M&S/Waitrose/Sainsbury-meals girl might be rather challenging. The last time I opened a cookery book or watched a cookery programme on TV was the same time as I prepared that solitary meal. I've missed the culinary delights of a whole generation of celebrity chefs. When I see Nigella Lawson on book covers, I don't think of food, but I get a spooky feeling, because I see her father.

Is there any hope for me in New Zealand? What is the ready meal situation there currently? Are there any ready meal girls (or boys) here who have converted to home cooking successfully?

[rogercruse]

...What is the ready meal situation there currently?...

For the past two months I've been working away from home and have to rely on ready meals and the choice is limited.

I suggest you start watching cookery programmes - especially Jamie Oliver - now!

[Chalkgirl]

Ready meal situation not great... unless you are a fan of freeze-dried boxed meals with very little nutritional value. Or soup. Or Weight Watchers ready meals - they seem to do a good range of them. Better to learn to cook a bit - the freshness of the fruit and veges is fabulous!

[nativecolo]

Certainly many who have converted, NZ also has the chip shop regulars certainly I see people buying those. New World and Countdown certainly stock ready to cook meal packs.

I teach cooking to the culinary challenged therefore I do not buy them. I am sure there are some others in this beautiful forum who might be able to convey their impression of taste and quality. You have to try and decide for your self though.

All the best

[buraddo]

Oh great, a new thing to worry about for me.

[nativecolo]

Why do you say "worry" ? It's just essential nutrition, everyone needs some.

[Louise Please]

Thanks for your responses. It's rather what I feared. I'll have to learn to cook!

Does anyone have recommendations for good ready meals or easily prepared meals that I can look out for? In fact, could you recommend one? Just one? Thinking aloud, if four people could recommend one each, more than half the week would be accounted for.

In fact if lots of you could recommend just one each, I met yet be spared spending hours toiling over a hot stove. Please? Pretty please with sugar on the top?

[JandM]

Cooking does NOT have to involve 'hours toiling over a hot stove'. Really! This is all just fear of the unknown talking. My Granny used to say, 'Just because you never have, it doesn't mean to say you can't.' If you can do the necessary to prepare a ready-meal, you can manage basic stuff with bought ingredients - it's all just following the instructions. There are loads of books starting from zero, and these days there are videos on the internet where you can actually SEE a cook doing something step by step, so you can copy them. http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en...eginners&btnK= Go on - be brave!

[buraddo]

Why do you say "worry" ?

I say worry because I have probably cooked about 20 proper meals for myself in the last year and this will represent another major shift in my habits, but also because I was exaggerating for effect. It will be different but not insurmountable.

[lou76]

Learn a few basic meals to start and make in bulk at the weekend when you have time. Portion them and freeze so during the week you can still have your ready meal habit! Much cheaper and healthier for you!

After a while when you have more confidence, you will be whipping up meals in the evening easy!