Cooking was traditionally 'women's work' and still is in many countries. Having said that my mother taught me to prepare and cook tradition Welsh food in the Fifties and Sixties, although with no daughters maybe she did not have any alternative. I now live in a traditional Thai village in northern Thailand. In that village, women take care of the kids if they have any otherwise they work in the fields along side their menfolk. Women with children will cook for their men returning from work, but in families where both work, they take it in turns. All men tend to cook on holidays.
We lost all that in the West in the Seventies and Eighties, but cooking made a come-back in the Nineties and it is no longer a shame to admit that you like cooking again. That is a very good return to common sense as no one really likes TV dinners. The next thing to hope for is that cooking tips are once more passed on from parents to their children, something that kids from the Seventies and Eighties missed out on because of the trendy ideas of their parents.
Therefore, I want to present to you, five top tips on the preparation of food.
Gulls' Eggs: should you buy them boiled or raw? It is far better to buy Gulls' eggs raw. Then you can test them for freshness by immersing them in cold water: if they sink they are fresh, if they float they are off. You can store fresh Gulls' eggs for a month in the fridge and boil them when required for seven minutes in water heated from cold. Cool immediately after cooking.
Glorious Grouse: you should cut the neck and wings off the bird with a pair of kitchen scissors before plucking. most people think that plucking is an arduous, long job, but it should take no more than five minutes per bird. When you have finished, scorch the skin over an open flame; a gas ring or blow torch will suffice.
A Good News Story: if the Camembert that you have bought is not ripe enough for your taste, wrap it in ordinary newspaper until it is. Some how newspaper rapidly speeds up the process of maturing, so check on it often. Brie has a different problem, if it is too hard and chalky when you want to eat it, put it in the microwave and give it ten seconds. Repeat until the Brie is to your liking. It is a delicate process, so keep an eye on it.
Asparagus Bundles: when you need to tie asparagus bundles, it is better to use 25 mm bandage than string. Wrap the bandage around the shoots and tie off tightly. This method also works for young leeks.
Onion Tears: if you are one of the many people who suffer from crying when you are peeling onions, try peeling the onions under water and your tears should stop. When you are chopping them, suck a marble or a pebble to keep the tears at bay.