Despite the promises of a million cookbooks, TV shows and articles,  real-life, day-in, day-out food is mostly neither pretty nor sexy nor particularly exciting to make. I’ve more or less proven this (to myself, anyway, in a sort of with-Christopher Hitchensish-self-serving-logic-but-without-the-writing-talent-way) by blogging (I've stopped now) since September about cooking for my family. And, as someone who makes a living from inventing and presenting recipes, if I can’t make it more appealing, how is someone not even fractionally immersed in the food business going to manage ?

There have been and will be, naturally, many wonderful moments in my kitchen and around my table - they have filled my books over the years. But I believe it is in the mundane and the repetitive  where true habit-forming, life-changing value lies. I think we should develop  (as the French have) a natural sense of entitlement when it comes to the pleasure we derive from food, not isolate it in a fetishized quest for stimulating foodie moments. For many, food and cooking need to become something unremarkable to become useful. But the unremarkable does not get airtime nor column space.

So far so ranty. It was this post that prompted mine. All very fun and  cool and laudable. But , to my mind, it is also the perfect example of today’s rather romanticized food content which circulates On High amongst a media elite (I know, my world! Includes me !) which too often kids itself there’ll be a trickle-down effect to those in trouble. A decent ice-cream maker costs upwards of 400€ ! And the chances are, when people consult the beautiful food pages of the big publications looking for some pragmatic help, the best they will find will be a recipe for home made ice cream. No wonder home cooks turn to recipe index websites and blogs for basic advice which would never be deemed 'interesting' enough to make it into print.  

Here, then,  exclusively until I write them in French for a future book, are MY 10 ‘DIY tips’ for those who are neither ‘passionate,’ ‘obsessed ‘, ‘expert’ nor  even ‘greedy’ when it comes to food but who need some ideas about what to cook tonight and may want to start making some healthy changes in 2012.

They have worked for my four children - who, I promise you, are picky at times, yet satisfyingly tall and lithe and shiny-haired and will eat almost anything, often with glee.

1.    Despite the top heavy media attention to artisanal food (and its obvious benefits) do not feel bad about shopping only once a week at a supermarket. Take it 1 step at a time and USE the convenience as, gradually, you try to start changing your habits. It’s still the easiest way to shop when you’re planning family meals & thereby reduces waste and saves time and money. If you CAN buy your méat and vegetables at a market or independent stores without a 1 hour/50 km détour of course, do so. If you can’t, don’t beat yourself up about it.  Try to visualize your trolley as the perfect dinner plate thus, or like this (my weekly market shop , but I am in France so it’s EASY for me) Gradually, try to make it 50% (unpacked) fruit and veg.

 2.   Only serve tap water at non-celebratory mealtimes. 

 3.    Don’t make up your children’s plates before putting them on the table. Let them help themselves as much as possible whilst supervising  a good pile of veg for all ! ! Towards the end of the week for supper, no matter how random it may look, make a buffet table out of leftovers. Get your children used to seeing an empty fridge before it gets a refill.

 4.   Keep puddings for Sundays and spécial occasions. Serve fruit as pudding during the week.

5.   Buy a salad spinner with the serving bowl integrated  (like this one. It keeps everything together & saves space) and try to always wash your own lettuce/salad leaves. They will keep fresh longer than the bleached stuff in bags if you wrap them in a tea towel in the bottom of your fridge and also perk up marvellously in a bath of fresh water. If you have children and need to up their veg intake, try serving salad leaves at the start of every meal, before everything else, while they are most hungry. Start with one leaf, then build it up.  

 6.   Use frozen and tinned vegetables and (unsweetened) tinned fruit. As the fresh stuff gets used up within a few days, do not worry about cooking frozen vegetables. They often have more nutrients than fresh packed ones  and can save you so much time peeling and chopping. Try to avoid the ready-seasoned, pre-chopped frozen mixes.

7.   Grains, grains, grains. Gradually phase them in, reducing pasta, rice , white bread and potatoes as you go. Ban breakfast cereals and replace with porridge or wholegrain toast. (Very difficult, I know, but necessary. My children have been known to smuggle theirs into their bedrooms.)

 8.   Buy less and better quality meat. Try to eat it just 3 times a week. Buy quality chicken for post-roast stock and soup and cheaper cuts of ethically reared beef, lamb and pork.

9.   A little parmesan goes a long way and gives lots of great taste. Buy a microplane grater for sprinklings rather than great fat carpets of melted cheese on everything.

10. Phase out the palate-numbing ketchup. In our house, ketchup is only allowed on emergency pasta or oven chips. Never as a condiment to a tasty dish. Making home made chutney (and jam)  is an easy, useful, long-term benefit project.

 11. (I know I said ten but this is important) Do not get hung up on ‘teaching’ your children to cook with you in the kitchen. Get them to help, by all means, but it is already a great enough task for you to plan, shop and get the meal on the table on time without explaining the historical and cultural significance of cauliflower and/or how to chop it like Alain Ducasse. Believe me, they will pick it up if and when they see you cooking from scratch. It is your ‘doing’ that is important. Don’t make what should come naturally at home into some kind of pseudo educational activity .

Happy New 2012 !

Image from here